Table talk

The task: A custom project for a coworker of mine. Her grandfathers dining room table was in need of TLC. She didn't need another dining table, but came up with the great idea of converting to a coffee table for their family room.

Process: Disassemble. Sand top. Cut legs down to a height of 18". Reassemble. Add brackets to sturdy. Stain and oil top. Tape and spray paint legs and apron a charcoal colour. Distress slightly. Seal project and deliver.

Outcome: I am thrilled with the outcome. It's a nice rustic, well worn looking family room coffee table that should hopefully add some charm and function for many more years to come.

Things I've learned: I could never be a surrogate. I fall in love with every Renew project that I complete. I struggle to cough up the finished product every time. My furniture, or others, and this piece was no exception.

A bit of dialogue, on the card catalogue

Close your eyes and think back to:
Using the library catalogue to look for a book
and the frustration of not finding the index card you were looking for.
Don't get me started about when the index book of the Britannica Encyclopedia series went missing...

Last fall, scrolling through Kijiji, a new ad posted with this card catalogue. I don't think it had been listed for 30 seconds when I called the number and begged the woman to hold this item ... No matter what! I would be there with my $200 ASAP. I know how hard these gems are to find, and I was scared someone would show up before me and sweep it from under me. 

I was a woman on a mission.

We retrieved this piece from a 'hoarderish' (if that's even a word) basement. Jade helped me load it in the back of my car. As the hatch closed, I blew a sigh of relief, this piece was coming home with me!

Then fall came, and winter, and it sat in my garage. Partly because finishing furniture in the winter can be a royal pain, partly because I wasn't quite sure how I was going to finish it. Put it on top of a cabinet? Place on a coffee table? Lay on the floor? It was an awkward height on its own, but I wasn't sure how to make it taller.

This summer, cruising Pinterest, I found some inspiration. I went straight to etsy.com and ordered these hairpin legs. They were going to make this piece, the perfect height.

I set to work sanding the outside. I used some oil stain to darken it up, and accentuate the flaws. This piece has a history, and I wasn't about to make it appear new. I left the drawers in original condition.

I painted those legs with Tremclad Flat Black metal paint, attached them to the bottom

The rest is history.

~T~