I like the walnut!
Even with a clear coat, I would recommend "staining" the wood with a natural stain or wood conditioner prior to sealing and finishing the stand. The reason for this is that the stain/conditioner will fill the pores of the wood prior to being sealed. This will allow your finish to create a flatter seal coat on the wood providing a better initial seal of the walnut. The following finishing coats will bond with the initial seal coat and create a strong finish that will last longer.
We have finished all of our natural finish jobs this way for years, and the protective finish lasts much longer when adding this simple step. (That's a lot of "finishes".)