Well, treasure to me. I was on my way home from the train last Friday, and noticed a neighbor had put this little cabinet to the curb. I had my friend who was driving let me out and told him to have a nice weekend. I was on an adventure. The cabinet looked unusual with strange wire doors. I knew it wasn't new. As I approached, I immediately went to the back unpainted side to see what kind of materials it was made with, and if there were labels or signs of age.
On the back were some handwritten notes, numbers, and a patent number. The wood seemed old, and the notes implied a handmade piece. It's well made and wasn't too dirty, so I grabbed it. It was just light enough that I could carry it with my laptop bag, resting every few houses. When I got it home, I steam cleaned it and gave it a wipe down with vinegar. I'm hoping that prevents any critters from getting into my house. At least it got rid of the cheap cologne smell. I also found inside one door handle that appears to be one of the original handles.
But what is it? It's not a pie cabinet. Is it a telephone table? Hall entry table? What is the purpose of the wire doors? And what kind of wood is it made with? That I can answer! Beautiful wood! (Oak?) No matter, I'm stripping it. Look at this wood grain!!
Thankfully, it was only painted twice, and with latex paint. Easy peasy. So easy it actually fell off!
I stripped most of it, and need to clean up the remaining varnish before lightly sanding it. I'm going to treat it with tung oil to bring out the best of the wood grain. I have no use for it, but it was free and it's beautiful, so it's probably going to be a new end table in the living room?
Maybe someone knows its true purpose, and I can use it for that. Either way, you gotta love free!