Staining beech wood

I have a bad habit of buying thrifted furniture. I just can’t justify spending $$$ on new pieces that are mostly particleboard/veneer and fall apart in a couple of years. High-end furniture is out of my budget, so thrift stores are my go-to.

Of course, the downside is that thrifted stuff usually comes with issues—scuffs, scratches, loose drawers, etc. Recently, I picked up a circa 1960s French Provincial dresser for my daughter, made by Davis Cabinet Company. The label says it’s solid beech. I paid $60 for it.

It had been painted, and the top had a deep scratch and water stain. I stripped the top, repaired the damage, and sanded it down. My original plan was to just refinish the top and paint the body, but once I saw how gorgeous the wood was, I decided to strip the whole thing. The wood is very light with a pinkish hue—honestly beautiful on its own.

I wanted to leave it natural or use a light peach stain, but my daughter prefers darker wood and wants it stained in natural walnut. I’ve been reading up on staining beech and saw people recommend water-based gel stains over oil-based ones. Is that true? Should I use a pre-stain conditioner? And does anyone know how walnut stain tends to look on beech?

Even though I only spent $60, I’ve put a ton of time into stripping and sanding it, and I’d hate to ruin the finish at this point. Any advice would be super appreciated!