You have inspired me. This is now my next project (after the bathroom is finished). I have always thought this piece was ratty looking but it served a purpose in our bedroom. The cat sleeps on top and the TV is there also. I also use it to keep my office papers. Thanks to you it will soon have a new look. I just checked it out a bit and noticed that the drawers are dovetailed but could not find a manufacture's name. Do you know who made yours?

Awesome suggestions! I've been sparked! @njmomma: I like this example. As the original buffet comes with a mirror, I don't like it. Perhaps a separate vintage mirror would be nice to reflect some light in the space. Then I can hang pictures around it. @yvonne: I have hordes of pottery and you bring up a good idea; instead of buying more art I should hang my pottery on the wall, after taking off the mirror top. We have quite a few family pictures; in our previous home the buffet was flanked by those vintage items. However as this space has less traffic than the front hallway where I was considering for the family pictures, I'll keep the pottery in this location and the family pictures in the front hallway. @holly: I'm refining my mint favorites. I'm looking at reds, oranges in abstracts and landscapes. However previous suggestions of using pottery may put Minted on the back burner. @tedbixby: yes I have considered putting the wicker chairs on either side of the buffet..To the right of the buffet is a dry sink which is normally in the living room but due to the Christmas tree we had to switch it out with a drop leaf table (which is usually to the right of the buffet under the window). @grover: the room functions as it is. There's a dog pen because we have to pen them when we're gone. We don't use a dining room table, so it doesn't need to function as that. And we have an abundance of antiques but less room than our previous house so we have to find a wall for them. I wish we could put them in storage, but these are my husband's family pieces and he's not interested in doing that. And he's not ready to reduce the inventory, so we have to work with the pieces in the square footage that we have.

Not trying to deter you from your plans, but, as is, that is a beautiful piece from turn of the century. Personally, I would buy it and keep as is. But, to your dilemma: often these pieces had a marble top, so you could do that and cover the holes.

Are there any clues on the back of the piece? Any stamping? What is the stamp on the inside of the top drawer, typically on the inside left side. Is there a locking mechanism on the 2nd drawer? What do the dovetails on the drawers look like? Its a very pretty piece!!