I just adore this piece. It came to me from auction just before Christmas and though I had other custom work to finish, I immediately started in on it. The top was veneer, and badly water damaged. It clearly needed to come off. Now this is always a gamble. Removing old veneer is no small or simple feat, and there's a solid risk the piece will have issues in the secondary wood as well, or the veneer will prove damn near impossible to remove, or I'll accidentally gouge the top while trying to peal or chip it away. I lucked out big time on this piece, though. The veneer came off in huge satisfying sheets, a testament to how much moisture the piece must have seen at some point. Underneath was a spectacular solid chestnut top! Yay!
I sanded the top, and stained it in a light tone, because I wanted the entire sideboard to be light and bright and airy. I painted the case in a custom mixed light gray called Rainy Morning, and the interior in a deep ocean blue green called Starboard. I highlighted all the elaborate carving in a creamy ivory, just to make it pop, and then distressed and dark waxed the piece. Now it's flawless once more, and ready to be loved for another hundred years at least!
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