Welcome Eleanor

I'd like to introduce you to the newest furniture member in my house.....Eleanor.

She was acquired last week in a brilliant Craigslist exchange...money for furniture.

I found her after only a few days of serious search, which completely contradicted my theory of "Nothing good is ever found in my neighborhood". Actually, I had to travel to the tony city of Carlsbad, CA to find her. Well worth the trip.

She is a Bernhardt antique, supposedly purchased from an estate sale in North Carolina about 45 years ago. Whatever, I bought it, story and all.

Now the dilemna. She has a cruddy top and some dings and worn spots. Nothing serious, though. How to refinish her? Lovely, glazey paint finish, refinish as original or something new?

Her new home is across the room from Baxter:

Baxter is a handpainted sideboard. Tobacco, green and a teeny bit of gold finish.

So HELP! What do I do? I am not into matchy-matchy. I love pieces that are collected over time and have character.

Sidenote: Yes, I do name most things. My car is called Butterscotch and my dog Oliver.