Gaston

Gaston was named with inspiration from Beauty and the Beast...as it is a beauty...but it was a beast to repair.
I know there was a great debate between my followers on whether Gaston should be painted or not, and then not long after Miss Mustard Seed also came out with a post about painting Vs. not painting furniture.
I totally agree there are times when something shouldn't be painted- Fine wood pieces made from burled Walnut or Cherry for example that have intricate carvings or curves. I do work hard to preserve those pieces.
Gaston had been stripped and restained in the past (not by me). When that took place, all the glue that held him together was stripped away and he required some major repairs. Painting him was an easy way to cover up those repairs.
Gaston is also made of oak, so the grain is very course and not all that elegant. As well, the home he is going to belongs to a young lady about my age with a gracious home. To put a piece like Gaston in unpainted would over-power a room and look very heavy. By painting it, it has a new elegance that is not "in your face" in a room. It is being totally reloved, which is, in the end, the whole point of what many of us do when we refinish furniture.  
If you like it, thanks so kindly. If you don't like it, I can understand why and have no hard feelings.