bump. BTW, I did call the BM paint store and was told that two coats should NOT have been applied. That sounded like BS since the instructions mentioned time between coats. Also, where else should I post this question? I have to get this house stained again. So what brand and formulation should I use? Thanks for any help.

I just posted about what I used on my red cedar siding in the Deck Sealer thread. It won't leave your siding looking like it does now (it's not a clear coat), but it looks pretty good. Here is a link that might be useful: Deck Sealer Thread

I wanted to select a light stain like the shutters below, but they don't exactly work with your brick, so I selected a stain light than your current one with white trim.

I do not mean to hijack your post, but it seems like a good place to add another example. We are dealing with this exact same issue. Bright red stain on brand new cedar siding after being VERY clear we did not want red at all costs. Our contractor used 2 coats the same day he put the boards up. Besides the ridiculously ugly color, I am unsure what problems we should anticipate, as I am reading there should only be 1 coat and that waiting for the wood to dry before putting a stain on is essential. I will post any solutions we try-hopefully that will help others.