painting the norrebo a shade darker?

"i'm debating buying a norrebo shelving unit - i love the style, but the pale wood is going to clash horribly with the rest of my (dark, funky, Victorian) decor. i'm wondering whether i could either paint it right over the surface (veneer?) or sand it down and stain it darker. has anyone tried either of these things? thanks. - sarah

sarah,
i think the norrebo is solid birch with clear lacquer. you could sand it down to strip off the lacquer and then stain it with a dark glaze, such as the behandla glazing paint. i've never tried it but it should work.

any other ideas?