Kitchen Table...Finally

I've been on a quest to find a dining room table for months. And on every outing to the D.I. (local thrift store) I've always retured home empty handed. In my defense, I need an eight seater table. Apprantly they are hard to come by...even in Utah.

Then one day, on a whim, I decided to stop by the thrift store. I had already been there once that day and had no luck, but I went with my gut. And what do you know? There she was...gleaming in the celestial light of the fluorescent bulbs above. I was so happy I almost cried...almost.


I know she doesn't look like much...no scrolling or intricate carvings or interesting lines. But to me she was perfect.
I allowed myself the satisfaction of a subtle victory dance (think James Brown) and then proceeded to the cashier to purchase my treasure.

Initially I wasn't sure how I wanted to finish the beast. I thought about painting her, but I didn't want her competing with these little beauties.

Wild and bold...maybe just a titch.

I was concerned that a painted table might be a little too much, what with all the pattern and color going on with the chairs (I didn't want anyones eyes to start hemorrhaging when they walked in the kitchen). So I nixed that idea.

Then I considered sanding her down and restaining her, but deep down I knew I was way to lazy to take that kind of work on. So that idea too, was nixed.

Then it struck me...glaze. I love glaze. It's always come through for me in the past. I was a little skeptical at first.


I had never glazed over natural wood before. But I just went with it and ended up being pleasantly surprised at the outcome.


I really like the slat-ish top of the table and I love how the glaze just pools in all of the crevices. I also like that I was able to maintain the look of wood, without all of the sanding and staining. Now I just hope that she will stand up to the wear and tear of five uber active kiddies.


The dining area is still a work in progress as far as decorating goes. But now that I finally have table I can start working on that. Here she is in her new home.



I guess that the moral of the post today is...glaze is good, so don't be afraid to use it.


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Table and Chairs

Listen, I tried to come up with a catchy and creative post title and it just wasn't happening. So, I just went with straightforward instead.
So,here are my chairs and table...finito. I am not completely happy with the way the table turned out. The finish on the top is a little uneven. I suppose I could lie and say that I meant for it to be that way...that it just adds to the rustic charm I was going for. Eventually, I may have to sand the living crap out of the surface to get all of the old finish off and start again, but for now, it's done. Even though I'm not one hundred percent loving the table, I am totally loving the project as a whole. I think it is the perfect blend of funky and sophisticated...just like me-wah, wah, wah.
The poor girl, as you may have gathered however, has still not been invited to take up residence inside the house, but I'm certain the old man and I will come to an understanding soon...and by understanding I mean that me and a couple of gal pals will just move her on in while he's away at work. We all know that the last thing any man wants to do after a long days work is move around and reorganize furniture.
So, the plan is set. I will be sure to take a pic of the ole girl her new surroundings as soon as I can.
Drum roll please...

Now it's on to the next...my bedroom chair. All of the upholstery has been removed...not without a great deal of effort mind you. There were thousands of staples that needed removing and my poor wrist is paying for it now. I am convinced that to become an expert upholsterer you need only to go ballistic with a staple gun...which, I must say, thrills the crap-ola out of me. Reupholstering is gonna be way more fun than...deupholstering?
Also, I have great news! My besty Deni, totally hooked me up with the most awesome dresser. It's mid-century modern and has nine drawers and it cost me a whopping $20. I can hardly wait for you all to meet her. I am going to pick her up tonight and will be sure to introduce you tomorrow. The best part of all is that she is a beautiful dark wood and I am planning on keeping her au naturale...which equals little or no elbow (or wrist) grease.

Coffee, er, hot chocolate anyone?

So, in true ADD fashion I've had several projects goin at once. Along with my awesome table and chairs, I've also been in the process of completing my new "hot chocolate table" for my living room. This little gem cost me $5 and I spent about $20 on paint and primer. The knobbies I already had, so this awesome piece of functionality cost me a mere $25.
She started out a glum shade of brown, so I spruced her up with a bighter of hue of paint, called pebble, and then applied a little glaze to bring out her assets. I don't know about you, but I think she looks fabulous.



The best is all of the storage she provides. Who couldn't use a little extra storage space. I know I could.