It would be ideal as a landing strip, if you have a big enough entry. You could put a bench underneath.

As for the finish:

Before you do anything, try cleaning it with Murphy's Oily Soap and then apply Olde English. You can find these items in any Home Depot-type store. And many times, that's all you really need to make an antique look great again.

Before going the stripping and refinishing route, try Restor-A-Finish
http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm

I'd use Howard's Restor-a-Finish in the color that's closest to the wood tone you have - then follow that up with an application of Howard's Feed-N-Wax.

http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm

P.S. Olde English looks like it's just a furniture oil, but it has an amazing ability to conceal scratches and imperfections. So don't substitute for a different brand. I've brought antiques back from the dead with Olde English.

I have my TV sitting on a similar one, with a little table under it for the DVD player.

paint it.

Very nice piece! I third Restor-a-Finish. I was skeptical about it until I tried it. Please don't paint. Years from now we're going to be swimming in all of our high-gloss white and be disappointed that we wasted so much beautiful wood furniture.

I'm a big fan of Scott's Liquid Gold or Olde English.

However, you might also consider taking it to a pro. It is after all an heirloom and I promise you'll never regret taking care of the old grande dame furniture. They can restore it, fix any problem joints and really make it shine.

You might also consider a custom glass top to keep it from further damage.

I like the landing strip idea. Although my rowdy Southern family would probably use it as a cocktail bar with a big old tray on top with booze, glasses, etc.

Too bad you are a guy (or that you are not into make-up? lol) that would have made a very cute make-up table (une maquilleuse)!

use it as a sofa table or console

I have had great results with the Natchez Solution. I have used it on antique painted Hitchcock chairs and other heirloom pieces. Apparently it can be a bit hard to find, but I got mine in a local antique/decorating store, and my town has a population of only 3500, so it can't be THAT difficult to get!

I like Lizzy's idea about using it as a bar area, as well as getting glass tops made for it. Glass tops, even custom cut, are not as expensive as you might think, and are eminently practical. This table could work almost anywhere.

I'd second the glass top -- it could be thick enough to span the recessed portion of the vanity out at the depth of the drawer sections, making it suitable as the writing desk you imagined, and giving that extra spot to display something flat (photos? postcards?) or to put a shallow tray for pens and pencils.

I don't have a suggestion for finishing. I think I'd go for paint, but that's just me.

I agree with the sofa table (back of sofa) or as a console in a hallway. I have a similar kidney shaped thingy, and I have used it in our living room between two lounging sofas and have table lamp and such, and all the little drawers hold remote controls and other every day stuff that is small, but you still need to hide.

most of my thoughts have already been posted above (glass top and howard's):

thick piece of custom cut/edges finished glass to span the lower surface, giving you a wider desktop.

howard's restor-a-finish is great, if wood is in good shape.

only addition, new knobs or pulls...these are masculine, and i put them on "antiques":

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/subcategory/list.do?catalog=room&category=rm_accessories&subcategory=acc_knob_pull

Most of my thoughts have been mentioned above, but I would suggest that you try the murphy's oil soap (don't use it too concentrated or it will leave residue) before using one of those other products, like Old English or Howard's. If the wood is grimy, you don't want the dirt to get trapped under another layer of finish.

People debate how you should maintain a finish, but once it looks how you want it to, I apply and buff a hard wax to the surface once a year. It protects it from any further damage.

I'd paint it. It's not solid wood, it's veneer. Paint it and make something fresh and new.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I'm an avid reader of apartment therapy and knew I could get some great suggestions from you all. I like the console table idea, and possibly getting some custom glass made to fit it. If all goes well, I'll be sure to send in a before/after photo!

Thanks again!

My mother swears by WD-40 or GooGone as a cleaner for this type of furniture. I haven't used it, but she says they are actually the same thing.

Do any of you ATers know the real scoop about these products?

Too far gone for restore a finish .. light sanding with steel wool and then min wax colored with polyurathane

Laptop in the center with a printer on one side and a scanner on the other.

The original finish was nitrocellulose lacquer, and it has completely exceeded its life, and is barely there. What is left will interfere with any finish you put over the top. All the suggestions to try this or that polish will do more harm than good. You don't want to put silicone sprays, or oil into the wood, which will interfere with putting a proper lacquer, or shellac, or oil polyurethane finish on later. Water polyurethane is a bad joke, it will not hold well at all, and get all kinds of whitish spots, and peel off.

If you live in a NYC apartment and don't have an outdoor place to work, just have it refinished professionally, so you remember this piece as a cherished heirloom, and not the piece you tried this finish on, and then that finish, and then it still looked like crap, and then you pulled your hair out over it, and got dust all over everything you owned, and just wanted to get rid of the nightmare.

Olek Lejbzon & Co.
Peter Triestman 973-615-1257m
212-243-3363

I agree with using The Natchez Solution. It is available on line and on Amazon. It is all natural..just lemon oil and beeswax,,it is heat blended so you never need to shake it up. The Natchez Solution has no chemicals or solvents. You just rub it on with a soft cloth..it will be beautiful again.