Need Some Opinions on Sideboard

[Al Weber]

I have just finished a sideboard (taken from the design of Garrett Hack as published several years ago in FWW) using curly maple for the main wood and intended to use some spalted maple panels in the doors because it was from a sugar maple that died in our backyard a few years ago and I harvested some of the heavily spalted material for such uses. However after getting everything done except the finishing, I decided the spalted maple door panels were too busy for the curly maple in the rest of the piece. So I built a set of doors using panels of yellow birch (also from my property). Åfter finishing everything, I still can't decide which doors fit the piece best. I need some opinions to the pictures attached.

[Von Bickley]

Al,

That's going to be a hard decision to make. I think they both look GREAT......

[Sam Yerardi]

Spalted. Definitely eye-catching - - it will be a conversation piece.

[Ryan Lee]

I like the spalted.

[Al Weber]

Thanks for your views. I like the spalted also but when I thought about it before finishing, I thought it would be too much. I'll keep the other doors and can always change them out later if I change my mind or need a change of view.

[Ted Calver]

Al,
The missus came by as I was looking at the photos and commented that she liked the spalted door better, but didn't care for the dark band around the panels. I have to agree. Is that just a shadow line or did you apply a dark finish on the edges?

[David Gendron]

I like the spalted the best , but like Ted, would like it better without the "black" beed around the panels!
Beautiful work!

[Al Weber]

The black band around the panels is ebony accent - about 1/8" thick. It is there to carry over from the leg detail which isn't very obvious in the pictures but there is a padauk and ebony inlay on each leg.

Thanks for the opinions however. It helped me decide to use the spalted maple.