Here are some more pics of a test piece I spray painted flat black. Dry to the touch in 20 minutes too! The **** stain takes 6 hours! I am really liking the black. I am 90% sure I will be painting this black tomorrow.
Thanks! Plus that edge that I didn't sand very well has always bothered me. I can take the opportunity to run the dual action sander over it and fix it. And I also want to put a little round-over on the edges with a router to soften it a bit.
I think it also depends on the room it's going in. The red has a nice rustic look to it that might fit well with a room of the same kind of style to it.
I like the black, but must respect Greech's comment about it working in a particular room. If not tied to the room's existing decor, I would go with the black.