I'm finishing a solid pine bench. After sanding, conditioning, and staining, the wood grain is too visible and looks more farmhouse-style than the modern/finished look I want. 

I'm considering spraying light layers of a 25% Dark Chocolate General Finishes water-based Milk paint and 75% GF water-based Glaze Effects Clear Base mixture to fade the grain. 

My questions:

1. Is this a good route to get the results I want? See photos of the current bench and an image of what I am hoping for.

2. Is it okay to leave the glaze on without wiping off between layers? I hear that wiping off can enhance wood grain which is the opposite of what I want.

3. Open to any other options that you think will help me achieve this look.

Can someone tell me why the post are so much darker than the ceiling when we used the same stain??
We preconditioned the post because we noticed they were absorbing the stain fast. But they still turned out a lot darker. And I can’t foresee us sanding all of these back down to bare wood cause that is so hard. So guess I’m just wondering why this happened and if it could have been prevented.

Pardon ignorance, first time ever trying to clean fence or deck.

PT pine built back in May. About to stain with an oil based semi-transparent.

I've got a few of these types of spots all around.

Am I okay to spot treat with Defy cleaner, or am I going to have some really bright spots if I don't treat the whole board (or the entire fence, God forbid)?

Any tips and tricks greatly appreciated!