Cedar Chest III

I'm a sucker for a chest. :)  This one was in pretty rough shape--literally coming apart at the seams and the veneer was peeling.  I loved the legs and the inside was still in great condition.  Later the owner said it was destined for the garbage...so glad we could save her! :) 

Before

I ended up peeling all the veneer off the top and sending the top to a cabinet shop where they ran it through their overhead sander for me (to remove the sub layer under the veneer).  It turned out gorgeous and I didn't want to paint it. 

We also pulled the joints apart (thank goodness it was well made!), used wood glue, and then clamped them and let dry.

After

I love the contrast of the light wood tones with the black.  Very pretty.

I think the legs really make this piece.

I just left the top natural (no stain) and used a couple coats of poly.  

Sorry the pics aren't so great on this one...need to figure out how to take pics of the black pieces in natural light, or maybe I just need a new camera!