couldn't you just paint it with rustoleum enamel. I sprayed stuff years ago. I bought it in qts or gallons and sprayed it in a gun. gives it that look you are going for and it's cheap. Or if you wanted to go the high end route you could use a base/clear coat system with a gloss reducer in the clear. Try some rustoleum on a test pice and see if thats what you are looking for.
