Not that I think you'd use it without intending to (or not noticing the smell) but cedar. It's often intentionally added to keep pests out of clothes though.

I've had a lot of pine and never found the smell bad while some plywood and MDF smelled like their glues and took forever to air out.

That hurt for sure but the work that was put in seems good and the recipient is happy.

Aside from the paint I also had some misgivings about dismantling the original piece but I got over them a few pictures in because it means a piece that clearly wasn't working for someone in its original form now gets a new life. If it were an antique Chippendale that's a different story, not sure I could've let the paint go 😉.

Good job to OP.