In article , "al"
says...
I originally wanted to rub down, stain & varnish my banisters. However the
paint had soaked too far into the grain to bother and some chunks out of it
needed repairing with filler, which would never stain properly. I therefore
just undercoated it in readiness to gloss with the rest of the staircase in
white.

However, I got thinking that it may look better with a dark gloss paint
instead. Had a quick look around and can't find what I want, though I'm
sure such a thing exists. I want a dark, wood-effect paint with a high
gloss.

Paint it with a lighter red/yellow/brown colour then apply a dark
scumble glaze and texture it to get the wood-grain effect. Finish
with two or three coats of varnish. Or if you want more of a candy
effect maybe paint it white then apply a couple of coats of tinted
varnish?