I love 30s Jacobean. My parents had a dining set done of it. The old styles............if you hang on long enough, they come back in vogue. I thought that hutch didn't look right. What a shame they butchered the legs off the china cabinet, and I suspect they sawed off part or all of the legs on the sideboard, too to make it low enough to accommodate settign the china cabinet on top of it. So they took a traditional three piece set and turned it into two. The thing is those sorts of things often happen to 'old furniture' before it's hit the point of vintage and when it's gone, it's gone forever. It's still a nice set however. Actually the fancy work over the glass in the china cupboard isn't that hard to redo. It's held into place by what amounts to fancy quarter round. I've popped the quarter round off my china cupboard door and removed mine to clean it up and get at the glass.

If they're not wood, I'd toss 'em. Or donate them. If they're wood, there are things to do with the slats, but it would depend upon their width and length. Where are the holes for the strings? I hope they're wood! :) I might bead board the back of a cabinet or something.

I did a search for you. There are some creative, slightly off the wall, coo coo, and beautiful vintage farmhouse sinks with a desire to make them work. I hope these images help you. ~boxerpups Re-Nest SticksandStones NZ Homegrownevolution Earth Finds Country Living Country Living Classic Stone Kitchens Ciao Interiors Custom sinks by AisBuilds This Old House Thehaystackneedle Here is a link that might be useful: How to Turn a Salvaged Sink Into an Outdoor Bar

An excellent topcoat in a wet environment is Waterlox - DIY friendly, easy to repair, and has excellent water resistance. Bleed through is usually found with those deep red stains usually found on Mahogany. Shellac is a good barrier to prevent/minimize that. Likely not necessary on the piece you show but no harm in doing it. Caveat there though is the shellac in the can is not de-waxed and may affect your choice of top coat. As for staining the body darker to match the top - probably not necessary. The little bit of color that will peek through after you distress will not appear that much different - and as stated above a bit of dark wax can even it up if it is that noticeable to you. A little dark wax goes a long way so use with a light hand. As for the underside of the top - use a sanding sponge to get under there - easiest if you flip the piece over and work that way. You may not need stain under there but you will want your topcoat to cover it. Here is a link that might be useful: Waterlox