Absolutely glue down what's there but loose. Use a toothpick to apply glue in between the layers (or a syringe if you have one). I think I would try to replace the veneer where it is missing, by making a simple template and cutting replacement pieces, filling with plastic wood and staining to match. Try the staining to match before you go to the trouble of cutting and filling. Good luck; it's a lovely find and $10 makes it absolutely gorgeous. And if you don't want to take the trouble, send it to me! ;)

I think I would glue down the loose ends and love it like it is.

Do one end at a time: Stand it on it's end and use wood glue under the loose veneer, then weight down with a perfectly flat piece of plywood and weight with some heavy books, bricks or a cast-iron pan for a few days (make sure there's no glue squirting out the edges before weighting) - then do the other side.

I agree with bepsf (ever the voice of reason!). If you try to patch it it'll probably look worse.

It's a lovely piece... are those tambour doors? You could try to position it so that the worst isn't visible. Maybe you have a nook somewhere.

Glue - Then maybe paint the wood under where the veneer is missing a cute color, so you make it into a fun creative postmodern poppy thing instead of a flaw? Just a thought I am considering doing that with a dresser of mine with flawed veneer....

Glue down what you have, then if the bare spots still bother you, put a long runner across the top to hang over the sides.

Nice piece!!

I think it might be fun to pin or glue a lovely fabric on the ends after you glue down the loose ends.

Great find!

I'd glue whatever is loose down and love it as is....maybe try to place it where the worst isn't visible or get some kind of cloth runner for it to cover up some.

I have a Knoll credenza with a similar veneer affliction on the ends, and I've been considering filling the chipped out areas with wood patch, sanding until very smooth, and refinishing just the ends with a contrasting matte opaque stain (possibly black).

Alternatively, you could re-laminate the ends with a contrasting wood veneer. It's not hard to do, but I think you'll be much happier if you choose an obviously contrasting color rather than trying (and inevitably failing) to match the existing finish perfectly.

I would NOT leave the piece as-is or try to embrace the chips. While I am an avid lover of well-worn furniture with a patina, this is not the kind of piece that looks good in poor condition.

I agree with Anna -- I think pieces made of veneer, when not well kept, can resemble cheap dorm room or frat house furniture. I really like Anna's idea of doing the sides (and possibly top?) in a contrasting black stain or possibly a glossy coat of white paint or laquer.

Ditto what Anna at D16 said

I like the idea of patching it and painting just the two ends. Depending on your style, you could paint it just about anything.

I love it, though!

My husband and I recently refinished a craigslist find that had peeling veneer on top that we couldn't save. We scraped off all the old veneer and sanded down the top then glued down a new piece of veneer, weighted it with plywood and clamped it down to dry overnight. Apparently we didn't use enough glue because the veneer didn't adhere in quite a few spots and looked pretty bad.

For our second attempt we used contact cement and it worked really well. Much better than the glue. We also used a contrasting strip of veneer around the edge to fancy it up a bit (the iron-on kind...pretty straightforward). Then we brushed on a few coats of amber shellac to match the finish of the original piece and I really couldn't be happier with it.

Here's a photo of the finished piece...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29878482@N02/

I love that piece. Take it to a good furniture repairer. I know a guy who could totally repair that, but he's not anywhere near LA!

Anna's ideas are good ones, too. I wouldn't just leave it, but that's me.

I like Anna's idea of re-laminating the sides with a contrasting wood veneer...or even a solid paint color depending on your decor. It's beautiful...I love it. Even if you just glue down the loose ends and live with it for a while, you will figure out what needs to be done eventually!

There's a good article about this kind of repair on Norse Woodsmith. You can use regular glue instead of hot hide glue of course, and sand instead of scrape if you'd rather. For matching the finish, they make pens now that would do a decent job.

This is a pretty quick job for a restorer, so you might ask one for a quote, or just for advice and supplies.

Wow, thanks for all the great ideas and resources. I'm really flattered that this got posted, I feel famous! I will think about it for a while-things always work out better that way somehow. :) I would never have thought of doing something contrasting on the sides, the idea appeals to me. But maybe a restorer might be a good bet too... I will absolutely send pictures of the finished product. Again, thank you for the help, and I'd love to see more ideas if anyone thinks of anything else. And yes, those are tambour doors. ( I had to google Tambour doors, but now I've learned something new!)

Agree with Anna et al...ditching the veneer on the sides entirely and replacing with new (different color, yes! try to match, no!) veneer or sanding and painting a contrasting color.

If you want to go the veneer route, Outwater.com has veneer sheets in tons of different grains and colors of wood...with the correct adhesive already on. Easy to work with, easy to cut.

I've been searching the archives for the fun revamping of a credenza a guy did for his friend's man cave, just a week or so ago, but I can't find it, can anyone remember what it was called? It was wood veneer with bright pops of orange and yellow (if I am remembering correctly) and I think it would be great inspiration here....

HLI...I think I saw that in Ready Made (Feb/Mar 09 issue)

i like the idea of painting just the sides..you can also glue on a pretty-patterned wallpaper/fabric.

can't wait to see the follow-up pictures!