It is painted with a fairly light color then has at least glaze coats over that...one very dark burnt umber and the next a warmer brown tan.
Many years ago people were "antiquing" everything in site. There were kits and directions for the process.
Linda c

Here's what I would do: try to remove most, if not all of the stain finish on there now.
You can use oil paint, latex paint or stain for the next step. Me, I would use artist's oil paint and make my own glaze (very simple).
From the photo it appears to be just a black glaze applied and then wiped off, with more left in crevices. You may also try a warm umber. If you got to bare wood, you will have a better shot at duplicating the RH piece. Apply an over-all base coat of glaze, once that is dry you can choose where you want the accents.
Then seal with a varnish (wipe-on poly is awesome) or you can wax it.

Thanks so much. I think I'll try to strip the current finish off, then stain it a bit darker before using the paint and glazes. Any suggestions for a good stain color to use as a base?

paintergirl, when you say to apply an all-over base coat of glaze, do you mean just a coat of clear glaze or tinted?

You can do either. You can purchase a ready-made stain, or create your own.

Now that I know you're stripping the finish, see how the raw wood looks, then decide what direction as far as stain colors. Use the inside of a door for sampling.

Anyway, without seeing the actual RH piece, I suspect they did a clear finish, a black or dark brown glaze and a protective coat. If you notice, the dark glaze (or stain) is in all the little worm holes. All you want to do is put it on and wipe it off.

And, before you put your protective coat on, you can always go back with the glaze if you want more or darker.
Maybe post pics after stain is removed?

I think I'd skip the poly sheen/protective layer and keep it more natural. It's a beautiful finish but is a more commercial look. Didn't you post a more rustic, earthy foyer this is going into? Maybe a nice waxing, if needed for looks or protection. Those aged woods or finishes are beautiful by themselves and would seem fitting for the piece.

You have to topcoat the glaze to protect it. A coat of dewaxed shellac and then satin wipe-on poly is what I've been using. Just make sure your glaze doesn't dissolve in alcohol, if it does then skip the shellac.

The foyer is more rustic. It has tung oiled pine floors and the other furniture piece in the room is an antique pine table that's finished with just a few coats of medium brown briwax.

Can I topcoat the glaze with briwax to protect it?

Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'll head over to Rocklers Woodworking or Sherwin Williams to see what they have for stripping, staining and glazing.

Maybe do an old-fashioned antiquing method on the finish rather than a delicate glaze mixture that needs to be fixed. I'd research various options.

There are also dark/black/colored waxes. I think they might be used for an antique effect as they settle in the crevices and irregularities. They would also impart a color to the wood overall. If your other piece is waxed, it might be more interesting to have this piece without sheen. You can also antique by wiping on/off a darker stain. There are numerous methods. I'd experiment and see what end result you prefer and like with the other elements in your foyer.

The piece you showed has an opaque ( paint) coat under and at least 2 colors of glaze on the top, and likely a protective top coat.
There is no need to remove the original finish to achieve this kind of finish, just rough sand the piece and paint with your base coat, steel wool between coats so the surface is smooth of drips and brush marks.
Then apply the dark glaze....the texture, knots in the wood will hold the stain as shown in the picture. Then perhaps follow with another coat of the dark glaze and finish with a lighter glaze to achieve the depth you see.
And lastly a coal to flat polyurethane.

I totally agree w/lindac~it isn't necessary to strip the piece down to the original finish~that's just a waste of time for what you're wanting to do. Your biggest concern will be in finding a color of paint~I would start with a light beige or tan. For the edging, a combination of brown/black. I use a stenciling 'pouncer' for doing edging~load the paint, wipe off the majority, and with the flat end and a steady hand, glide it across the edge. If you want it darker, give a second coat, but don't load the 'pouncer' too heavily. Wipe off 'bleeps' right away. As for the glaze, you can use the same combination of black/brown, but water it down a bit, or use a ready-made glaze. Don't overthink....it's a lot easier than it seems. ;o)

Thank you for all the great suggestions! I've only done distressed painted finishes before, so this is new to me.

I would love to not have to strip this piece. My paint in the foyer is SW Believable Buff, with the darker Camelback in my other rooms and Antique White trim. There were a few suggestions before to use a colorwash so maybe I'll first give the piece an overall coat of the Camelback and/or one of the lighter colors thinned out with water. Then I can experiment with the different colored waxes or glaze to darken the details.

Pattycakes - I tend to overthink everything, unfortunately :-D