I bought this armoire last year with the intention of painting it turquoise and then distressing it. After it sat in my LR a few days I decided that I just loved the wood too much to mess with it. This piece was purchased in Saudi Arabia by an American man who lived there for many years and was in the oil business. I loved the piece and it's history. It's handmade and very heavy, and he let me have it for a song. We use it for a school armoire as it houses all our school books, paper, and pencils.