A RECENT PROJECT I DID FOR A HOME OFFICE...

Two pictures of a cabinet project I finished a short while back.  The top is a simple slab of oak plywood, though I did have to order a ten foot sheet to accommodate the 9 foot length needed.  I didn't think a seam would be appropriate, though sometimes you can get away with seaming, especially when you turn corners.  Everything else is either birch plywood or solid poplar for the doors and drawer fronts.  The owners opted to handle the painted parts and did a nice job with it given the large amount of surface area and the effort required.  I should get some macro pix of the grain in the top which turned out to be quartersawn veneer on one side of the plywood.  My stain job worked out beautifully with a rustoleum oil and finished nice with minwax fast dry satin poly in 3 coats.  Good things happen when you just follow the directions of the products.  After plenty of experimentation,  I've learned this fact the hard way.