I've tried turning solid Holly a number of times with disappointing results. Even when I've manage to keep its whiteness I tended to find, when/if used alone,
its not the nice, wholesome white I expected. A case of too much of a good thing.
Nowadays I tend to cut logs into much smaller pieces, dry them and then use as a contrast with other timbers in glued-up work. The Holly then lifts the whole project and looks at its most beautiful best.
Brian