Art Deco 1930s Oak sideboard, Arts and Crafts style, Vintage Drinks Cabinet

This beautiful oak sideboard was such a find. We believe it to date to around the 1930s, though it could possibly be earlier. We loved the unusual design and haven't come across anything like it before. We can see elements of Arts and Crafts, with the use of oak and carved detailing of flowers and leaves, whilst the stepped shape, asymmetrical pattern of the wood grains and positioning of the beautifully shaped handles have an Art Deco aesthetic.
 
We often think of Art Deco as all Great Gatsby, bold geometrics and sleek and streamlined shapes, but this wasn't always the case. Prominent designers took inspiration from the earlier Arts and Crafts movement, as well as Art Deco's immediate predecessor, Art Nouveau. This sideboard is a wonderful amalgamation of styles and as well as looking beautiful, it is also beautifully made.
 
It's always a difficult balance when refinishing pieces; we want to make them look attractive again without compromising the integrity of the piece and its inherited patina and character. The oak veneer on the front of the sideboard had very extensive staining and, after thorough cleaning, we carefully sanded it to remove the worst of these marks, without damaging the veneer and to reveal the beautiful tones of the oak. We filled in some small areas of veneer damage and tinted them with acrylics to blend in with the wood grain. The asymmetric elements of the sideboard really stood out to us, we loved the use of the grain in alternate vertical and horizontal panels and we ensured that each was sanded with the grain, to maintain this detail. Once sanded, we added layers of a satin varnish to give protection and a lovely sheen. We then gently sanded and buffed this with a satin finishing wax.
On the top of the sideboard, on the left, there is a lift up door, which opens to reveal a cutlery drawer lined with dark brown felt. The felt was in good condition, so we have kept this, simply giving it a gentle clean. There is also a good sized drawer on the right side of the sideboard. The front doors open to a good size cupboard area with a fixed shelf. The top shelf area fits standard size wine bottles, as you can see in one of the pictures, (please not the wine and glasses are not included in the purchase). Again, we gave this a thorough clean, sanded and added layers of a satin varnish for protection. The left hand door has latches top and bottom which slide into place and the right hand door has catches top and bottom.
 
We are always delighted to be able to rescue and refinish beautiful, good quality, vintage, furniture. We lavish them with care and attention, clean them thoroughly and breathe new life into them, but we can't make them look like new - and we don't want to!  These are character items and their imperfections are an integral part of their story. As a vintage piece from the 1930s it does show signs of use and age, but these do not detract from its style and practicality.
 
As we mentioned in our description, there was extensive dark staining to the oak veneer on the front and whilst we have removed most of this, there are some areas that have a darker tone to them - there can also be an inherent difference in tones due to the use of both horizontal and vertical oak veneer grains. There are some dinks and areas of wear to the wood, as you would expect from a sideboard that is over 90 years old, but there is plenty of life left in this gorgeous piece. If you are looking for an off the shelf, mass produced, item with a perfect factory finish, this isn't the cabinet for you, but if you want a special and unique one-off, that you definitely won't find anywhere else - you've found your perfect match! Please note that although it has a great, compact size, it is very heavy! If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
 
Delivery is for a 1 man delivery service in England only and the driver will require assistance. Please contact us for a quote for deliveries to Wales and Scotland.