Agree wiuth Barbara and anyone thinking iof putting a paint-loaded brush or roller anywhere near a vintage timber piece of furniture..."it would be a... SIN! Seems the compulsion of the mass renovcators is to paint everything....and its the easiest solution. Don't think happy renovators and DIY-ers have changed much over the years either. I have just finished stripping five coats of enamel from the most beautiful set of silky oak french doors with etched frosted glass...how many SINS there!!! Silky oak is an open grain timber so the last coats had to be done by the funny little man out in his bush shack restoration shed...and Oh what a beautiful job! I am over the moon and do not care what it cost...although it was not a lot compared to what I'd have paid in Sydney. Here a tip for any appreciators...(.if there are any left) of fine timbers. All you need is an old enamel bath tub and gallons of metholated spirits....just give it a bath and save yourself hours of scraping and fumes and burns. SORRY about the deviatiuon but this is my latest Soap Box...don't paint vintage timber! About your problem Wendi, I think, with Barbara, wait until you have your whole dining set and then stain the piece to fit in with the timber in that...( unless you are going to get a white one...( tongue in cheek). I've seen some really nice dining sets with the best of both ...legs and table frame in a (cringe) painted colour and table top in timber...saw a really desirable inlaid table top at my favourite little man's shed last week..the rest was painted and had a drawer for each place....with old metal handles. Legs were on castors.. The chair seats were upholstered...but needed recovering and the frames were metal...could have been an alloy of sorts. The combination of unpainted- stained timber..especially in inlay, with the painted parts, the metal frames and upholstered chairs just fitted together perfectly...so best of both. You migh be lucky enough to find the perfect table with a natural timber top...( and I wish you to find one with an inlaid design featurting timbers of different hues....) then your lovely little cabinet/sideboard might fit perfectly! There are some lovely timber stains around today...timber can be stained any colour...as long as its a transparent dye. A wonderful product is FEZLAC...that's the base and it is a shellac. To this you add the stain -colour you want. I've used it to put designs (fake inlay) on the backs of some really lovely old chairs...imitating the different natural timber hues in real inlay....So above are a few words, tales and suggestions that I hope will inspire you NOT to paint that cabinet.

Hi buchlo, if you use a chalk paint you don't need to prime etc. I recently used Annie Sloan chalk paint with Annie Sloan wax finish to paint a dark wood TV unit. It looks amazing. It lightened up our room, I put new handles on which I involved filling the old holes up. The chalk paint covers everything. It is expensive but great finish. The wax easy to apply and drys hard. I love it. There are only a few outlets in Australia, I am in rural WA and buy on line from a shop in Carine in Perth. Postage is reasonable considering it is paint. I am about to start some new projects using it. Lots on you tube on how to use the chalk paint. The colour range is just lovely. If you want a white finish go antique white as has better coverage than pure white. Don't forget to post before and after pics no matter what you do. Ps I paint everything, but look up 'how and what' to use so you get the finish you want and you only have to do it once

Hi Teresa, since you've only just moved in and are not sure, I would suggest wait and live with it until you have a clear directon on how the overall space functions, what your storage pressures are and what your over all style is likely to be. Putting time into a piece that you might remove would be frustrating. Removing a piece now that is functional and fitted is hasty. Budget how much you have to spend on the room and what the room needs. New cabinetry such as this replacement value is quite a few thousand dollars so consider the direction of the room first style wise, then imagine how that piece could be re-born. Once you've done that, if it ruins the flow remove it. The aesthetics can be enhance with a colur change in paint or lime wash but I think it will always be best in the look tha tit is sine the fireplace is built in but loving it with some restorative finish whether it's wax or varnish would give it a lift. It looks like it still works well and the fact that it has the cornice fitted at least has had some thought put into it. Good Luck

It is a location for a statue, a sculpture (example in HOUZZ on tall sculpture). Something inviting, something that does not arrest/block your step and movement but moves you on to the lounge room, however, it should arrest your eyes, give you a quick message, a note, while you are moving forward. (I am personally also inclined to place a tall mirror there to keep tabs on my walk and figure and shape while moving through life. Then you would come to this corner and look -at yourself!) That would require the bricks to go or leave them till you have the time and guts to get them removed. Until then they can act as a plinth, a platform for the artwork. (I would personally never sit in this corner. Indoor plants may attract and be home to all kinds of critters.) spmm says further up: "it would be good to have something that LIFTS the eye". That is a great point! (Houzz) image from the link above.