Information about this hallway table, the timber, and how to finish

[Goodiewoodie]

Hi. I purchased this hallway table 2nd-hand thinking I’d upcycle it (strip, sand, paint, and maybe add a decorative feature or two), and was surprised to find it’s very heavy for it’s size, the timber is not something I’ve come across before (although I’m a total amateur, so anything beyond “pine” I would struggle to identify), and the construction method doesn’t seem to be standard (dowel pegs through the mortise and tenons on the rails/legs, wooden buttons to attach the table top to the rails, drawers made from quite thick pieces of wood for a part of the table that’s rarely seen). Wondered if anyone could tell me more about it? A few questions I have:


- type of timber
- do you think this was bulk-produced (factory) or perhaps hand-made? I.e. is this a standard recent piece, or something old/special?
- the grain is very deep (up to 3-4mm wide and deep in places). Originally I was going to sand off the finish to the point of getting a smooth raw surface and then paint the lower sections white and clear-coat (polyurethane) the top/bench. Given how deep the grain is (and hence how rough/rustic the surface is), I’m now not sure that’s the best idea as I’d have to sand it back about 4-5mm to get a smooth surface and I’d potentially be ruining a beautiful individual rustic piece and making it look bog-standard. Thoughts?

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[Goodiewoodie]

Apologies for the picture links all being jammed together. Looks like the links work, just not well formatted

[double.d]

I'm going to say Teak for no other reason than it looks Indonesian styled.