Antique French Bleached Oak Sideboard

Hand sourced by us on our latest buying trip to France, this old French buffet immediately caught our eye for its proportions and lovely pale timber.

Believed to be predominantly oak, it has a broad plank top above two useful drawers and two large cupboards. Inside, the cupboard provides plenty of storage with a shelf running across the centre – ideal for crockery, serving dishes, glassware or all those kitchen things you'd rather keep out of sight.

The front has some particularly lovely detailing. Each cupboard door has a shaped inset panel, with fluted carving running down the central stile and apron. The original-style brass handles and decorative escutcheons provide a subtle contrast against the stripped wood.

At some point in its life the sideboard appears to have been painted. This has now been stripped away, leaving traces of its previous finishes tucked into the grain and around the mouldings. Rather than sanding all of this history away, we've kept the finish relaxed and slightly uneven. We've lightly sanded the timber and given it a fresh coat of clear wax, bringing out the grain while retaining the knocks, marks and colour variations that come with an old working piece of furniture.

Its generous top makes it particularly good in a kitchen or dining room, but we'd equally use it as a living-room sideboard with artwork, lamps and a collection of old pots above.

Good antique condition with plenty of evidence of its age and previous use. Expect old knocks, marks, scratches, historic repairs, old worm holes slight movement and variations in colour throughout. There are traces of previous finishes remaining within the timber and detailing, & the shelf is a newer addition which we've deliberately retained.

As a precaution, the piece has been treated for woodworm. It has subsequently been lightly sanded and finished with a fresh coat of clear wax.

It's the pale, slightly imperfect finish that makes this one. You can still see little remnants of its previous life across the timber, rather than it looking newly stripped and overly polished. And behind that lovely old French exterior is masses of genuinely useful storage – exactly the sort of furniture we like to find.