remove the legs, paint it and make it into a kitchen island for prepping?

What a great piece! Give it a light but thorough sand before painting. Repair the moulding or cut out the bad area and replace with a new piece that matches (they sell that stuff dirt cheap at Lowes, etc).

I would paint the legs a different color to highlight them (maybe metallic?), and since you like the detail on the doors why not paint the groove or even the whole area within it a different color than the rest of the piece. You could even do a cool stencil in that area!

I'm sort of jealous, that looks like a fun project :)

Since you dislike the decorative scroll on the doors... why not just remove them? If there are shelves on the inside, I would leave the actual shelves wooden and then paint the back white or fun color to match your decor.

Or perhaps find a tweedy looking fabric and mod-podge it onto the doors for a completely different look. This will take care of the scrollwork as well. Kind of like this Draper Console from Urban Outfitters: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=25772468&navAction=jump&isProduct=true&parentid=MORE%20IDEAS&isProduct=true&cross-sell=true&guide-bn=true

I'm all for refinishing nice wooden pieces, but if the wood was never that nice to begin with, it's not worth the time. Can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe paint it something to look good with the room. Looks like you have pretty neutral walls and carpet, so it might liven up the room. I like the rug, so that could guide your color choice. Perhaps the Lack hack from yesterday (chalk paint, not chalk board paint) will inspire you.

I actually like the scrolly things. You may like them better once it's painted...

This is hilarious in a Eugene Ionesco way. NO ONE reads. She wants to keep it where it is, and she does not like the arch motif.

I like the wood color with that rug. Looking at the picture, the other finish I can think of is black - but you want something lighter. A picture of the context (your other furnishings) would help.

Fill in the scrollly things with wood putty and sand to make a smooth surface, then cover the doors with a fun print wallpaper or fabric.

Wally, I was thinking the exact same thing!

Ahhh, it's beautiful.

I agree that setting off the details may make you like it more!

paint the inside of the groove a bright color and the rest a warm white. Legs metallic.

The color of the wood seems like it would look beautiful in contrast to gold. You could either pain the doors a metallic gold or use a foil product, like one that's been featured on this site before. Or you could stencil on a retro or modern design, such as chevron or Greek keys. This way, the wood that's in good shape can be left alone. I like rexrayfan's idea of filling in the design with wood putty.

Pull the rug narrative out into artwork. Glue it inside the arched area front. Paint the grooves with gold or another contrasting color, and paint the legs the same color. Replace the gold door pulls with decorative ones that go with the story you've created. You can also pull a color out of the artwork to paint the entire cabinet. An entry can handle the drama.
Your dislike for the arches will probably fade once they blend with the artwork.

1).Keep the legs.
2). Paint the entire piece aside from the doors whatever color suits your style.
2). Purchase thin plywood. Paint, cover in fabric, glue a cool print or poster, stencil (choose one :o} )THEN attach to the doors since you DO NOT like the arches. You can use those 3M adhesive strips that are out now so if in the future you decide you might want those arches, you just pull the plywood off and there you go. Or if you sell it, you have options to give to the next owner.

Personally, I do like the piece as it is but that's neither here or there. Much luck and would like to see what you do once you decided.

@wally3 and jessjeang, I too find this frustrating! People are constantly making suggestions that are counterintuitive to what the post actually says. Usually, as is the case today, this is annoying but harmless, but I often read comments that inappropriately and offensively stray into the realms of romantic or family relations, child-rearing and so on, when the poster has simply asked for décor/design advice.

As for the cabinet, I think the suggestion of removing the doors and painting the back of the inside is a good practical solution that would significantly improve the look with a relatively small investment of time and effort.

Please don't get rid of the legs. They are the best part.

I know!

You could try filling in those arches with woodfill, but I think they're just going to crack out with time. If you were to paint the piece, could you try removing the doors and turning them around, so the arches were on the back? I have no idea what the back side looks like, so this may not be a good idea.

If you look about 5 posts (blog posts, not comments) you will notice a makeover of a very similar piece, complete with the same kind of trim on one of the doors, which apparently got replaced.

I really liked the suggestion that you flatten out the doors and then cover just the doors in fabric or paper. I like the color of the wood and while I'd probably love it if you showed it to me painted, my thought would be try to keep the base wood.

I think that if you stapled some batting to the doors - you could cover with fabric quite easily and not have to flatten the surface of the doors. Of course you'd need to experiment to see if the doors close properly if you go the fabric route.

What about mirrors? Securely hot glued to "repanel" the doors?
Or some glossy colored plexiglass to repanel the doors?

I see in your mirror that you have black bookcases. What about painting the piece black, and the legs gold? You could fill in the detail you don't like, ignore it (the grooves might be less noticeable after black paint), or try painting them gold too if you decided to embace the look. I also like the idea of turning the doors around and adding interesting hardware.

I was going to suggest you putty the scroll work. I have these gross 1970s kitchen cabinets that have similar scroll work to this, and I hate it. I've been searching for solutions as to how to get rid of it cheaply. Everyone says not to putty it because it will eventually crack and fall out and make it look like crap. However, I've seen some suggestions online to use, not wood putty, but full-blown bondo--like the stuff they use to putty cars. When I do my cabinets, that's what I'm going to use. At minimum, if you do the prep work, it's going to last you a decade or so--and by then you might want something new anyway (since, as you say, this isn't an heirloom piece).

So my suggestion would be to Bondo it. Sand it down, and then either paint it an awesome color OR consider experimenting with veneer. Because the piece is so square and flat, I think this would be a perfect candiate for applying a really sweet wood veneer.

Good luck!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-lauras-refreshed-nightstand-january-cure-reader-projects-183538

shows what one can do

Remove the doors, flip them so that the outsides are now in, instant scroll removal :)

I agree with runswithscissors ^. Flip the doors so the scroll work is inside.

OR . . . I did the following to a thrift store bar cart and love it - if you're looking for something "out there" : http://www.vintagerevivals.com/2010/09/tin-foil-nightstand.html

Maybe find an interesting wallpaper or fabric to adhere to the doors