Dining room buffet....
Fourteen years ago I added the den and the bar in my kitchen...since then the dining table has been shoved against the wall in the dining area and only comes out for Thanksgiving! Basically, my dining room is a thoroughfare between the living room, kitchen and den. Lord knows you need this kind of space when you have teenage boys tossing balls around!
This picture was taken while I still had my Duncan Phyfe table...
...before this table....
I really love the openness of the space but Saturday I picked up a piece at an auction I fell in love with! I had honestly intended to sell it, but it fit this space perfectly!
(Again, sorry for the photographs....I did the best I could...it is a very dark piece! I edited with Photoshop just so you could see the detailing!)
This piece baffles me.
The top is definitely mahogany. I suspect the doors are walnut...and some of the inside of the cabinet and drawer is oak. The screws are all flathead screws. None of the wood is veneered. Today's reproductions are usually constructed with less expensive woods and different hardware. Basically, the quality of construction, the quality of the wood and the fasteners all lead me to believe it is an "older" piece.
It does have a maker's mark on the inside of the drawer but part of it is missing so I can't figure out who, what or where...
Until I know more about a piece, I hesitate to do anything to it. If it were in really rough shape or if I knew for certain it is a "newer" piece, I wouldn't give it a second thought and I would refinish it or paint it...but it is not and I don't know! It could be from Pier One or it could be from the 19th century...I just don't know!
It is not "my style"...ornate and a little on the "traditional" side. Obviously not that "mid century" style I love. Bringing it in means moving my table into the center of the dining area (like a normal person) and "cluttering" up that space....
But I think I love it!
It just "fits."
My initial plan was to paint it...off white or a pretty pale blue or green. But the general consensus among the fam is to leave it "as is." And truthfully, until I can find something a little more definitive about it, I think I will leave it be for now.
This is a prime example of "do no harm" when dealing with "old" furniture. If it is damaged beyond reasonable repair and/or would somehow be enhanced by painting, go for it. I'm not sure this piece wouldn't look better, in this space, painted...but at the same time I hesitate to start slathering paint on a piece I know little about.
So for now, it will sit as is. That is not to say that at some point I won't get a "bug" and break out the paint!
No promises!
Opinions are always welcome...what do you think?
That ALL being said, I went to Hobby Lobby this week and they already had their fall decor 80% off! Needless to say, I just had to get a few little things!
I love these little crows...silly but fun!
I couldn't pass up this strand of fall garland ($18) and this wooden pumpkin ($5)! Perfect for the bench!
A few little trinkets for the new sideboard, more berry wreaths I have no idea what to do with (yet) and more!
Again, as I mentioned here, one of the best ways to build a cache of seasonal decor is to shop the "after season" sales...but this year it started BEFORE the end of the fall season!!! I may only get to display this stuff for a week, but it is so worth picking up little things now while they are pennies on the dollar!
