There is another piece we own, worth something, maybe. It was given to me by an old girlfriend's mom. I think she loved me more than the girlfriend did, at least the idea of me for her daughter's future.
It's a small solid cherry dresser and the old lady (wonderful woman) refinished it herself for me. Did a nice job, really. Some talent and experience there!
I used it for quite a while as a bachelor and after I married my treasured forever wife.
But, when our kids were young, we changed it up a bit. My wife was worried that it had some sentimental connection from the past for me. I said Nope!
She had an idea to paint Disney characters all over it, but was afraid I would object.
One day when she was gone to work, I took it out, sanded it down and painted it white!
She came home and I asked her if that would be a decent canvas to begin her work. My wife is a true artist! She spent the following weeks painting Disney scenes all over it, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and so forth, all of them, I think. Hinted at a puffy cloud sky toward the top and grassy ground down low. It was an amazing piece of artwork she created!
The kids grew up using that as a place for clean clothes.
When my daughter got to be in a black phase, we stripped it again (
) and painted it black for her. She loved it.
By the time we moved into this new home, she was done with it (Ikea, Amazon HO!) and I painted it white again and it is now our coffee station. The small top drawers hold spices, lower larger drawers hold teas, coffees, water crock on top, everything it takes to rattle together drinks with kitchen towels in the bottom drawer, all on one wall, in one place.
The white matches all the other kitchen decor and I like it where it is.
However, if there was another heirloom quality furniture piece it would be that one. Stripping it and restoring it would take an effort, but definitely worth it to save a high quality piece that has been abused through modern day use.
As far as I am concerned, painted white, doing duty as a place for coffee making, it might have found its final function in life.
But, again, it is a very high quality, well made piece of "old skool" heavy furniture worthy of many more years of duty.
Nothing like what you get shipped next day from Amazon!