[Laura]

Chad’s tip about requesting the 60″ height in the order notes sounds like the simpler route, since you’d skip the niche and have no gray laminate showing.

If you still go with the niche, I’d confirm whether the finished end panels are finished on both faces. Many are only finished on the show side, so you might need two panels back to back for the niche bottom.

[Laura]

One thing worth thinking about with sapele is that it can look a bit different depending on the angle and light because of the ribbon figure in the grain. On a top that thick with veneer on every face, the edges and underside might not read exactly like the top surface, so if the bottom will be visible from seating, you may want to ask for a sample or a photo of a finished one. Also, a clearcoat on sapele tends to darken and warm up a little over the first year or so, so keep that in mind if you’re matching it to other wood in the room.