A Vintage Sideboard in Aqua

This is a fabulous vintage cherry and poplar sideboard I picked up from the Cromwell Restore on Wednesday. It's got the best form, with that handsome curve to the center drawers, and excellent patina'd brass pulls with absurd diamond shaped post plates, and dainty brass capped feet that all but take my breath away. When I'm furniture shopping I am almost always either singing to myself under my breath (hey, it's a happy time for me) or muttering as I work through intense mental gymnastics such as "will this sell?" and "How much of a pain in the ass would this drawer be to fix?". As I walked by this piece, and checked the drawers, and the feet, and the condition of the top, and the price I said just one thing, "Oh hell yea, you're coming home with me".  The lady in the next aisle over shot me a glare and scurried away. Whoops.

         The sideboard is not marked by a manufacturer but I'll be damned if it isn't by the White Furniture Company. It has all their classic hallmarks- chunky well made rather whimsical bail brass pulls, cherry veneer, with solid cherry drawers and tulip poplar secondary wood, tapered rectangular under block brass tipped feet, and drawers that work like butter.

          So I know this is an intensely bold color choice on this piece, but it's meant to be a showstopper, it was always intended to be a room-maker, and in this next phase in its life I wanted to honor that design ferocity. It's a custom mixed aqua I've named 'Surf Board'. I highlighted the trimwork on the drawers with a detail brush and a light coating of a pale mint green. I left the pulls tarnished because I love how the oxidation plays along with the aqua and mint. The interior is just a simple mocha. I sanded the top to reveal the absolutely spectacular cherry veneer that was hidden under the old yellowed opaque surface. I stained it darker than sealed it with seven coats of oil based poly until it was whisper smooth.