RECLAIMED WOOD TABLE

For the past couple of months my boyfriend and I have been working on a table for my mom.  The idea to build this table come from one of our trips to our favorite store, Habitat For Humanity.  My boyfriend was digging through bins filled with random stuff, when I came across old pieces of wood and trim.  I started pulling out the most interesting pieces and lining them up next to each other when the inspiration for the table came over me.

I loved how different each piece of wood was and I was determined to have a table made from reclaimed wood.  So the boyfriend and I got to work rounding up the supplies and tools that we were going to need.  It took awhile for us to gain enough motivation to begin our project, but when we did it was all worth it.

We knew how we wanted the table to look, but didn't necessarily know how to achieve it. So through trial and error we found the right proportions and look we wanted.  The boards I had picked for the table top are different thicknesses, so we cut a piece of plywood the size of the table we wanted and then used nail glue to adhere them together.  Then using some pieces of wood bought from Home Depot we cut the legs and the mid-section piece, bolted them together, added the trim around the table top and we were finished.

I then sanded the entire table and stained the legs and mid-section a dark mahony color.  The table top was then given sevel coats of polyurethane to provide protection from spills and fading.  I still need to sand the top again and apply probably about 5 more coats, but then it will be complete and delivered to my mother (who is in love with the table!).

I am in love with this table and kind of sad that it wasn't made for me, but I hope you enjoyed it as much I do! Leave a comment with any questions about building the table!

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL...

I have been redoing my house, slowly but surely...project by project. My current little project is to find a medium-sized mirror for my bedroom. However, the simplest and smallest of mirrors are way more than I want to spend.

Yesterday I was at Value Village and after much looking I finally found the perfect mirror for only $6.99, bbuuutt... its plastic "wood", white, and had redish streaks coming through the wood veins. Its not much now, but a good coat of spray paint will make all the difference!

Here is the finished product, isn't it beautiful???

TWO HOOTS

My Mom and I have a very special relationship.  She is my best friend and role model. My passion for life and design comes from her. She has a distinctive design style all her own that always feels like home.  Everyone who steps into my mother's house can clearly see who she is and her design philosophy, which is rustic, warm, and woodsy. 

Recently she has taken to collecting owls figurines (only the very very cute ones of course)! Much debate is made over how cute each owl is and whether or not it is worthy to be added to the collection, so when we were at an antique store and stumbled upon a little owl salt and pepper shaker the debate began. We agreed that they were VERY adorable, but my Mom couldn't decide if she wanted or needed them. The only sensible thing I could think of was for me to get them for her.  They were just too cute to pass up! They now have a place in the house with all of the other owls (and I secretly want them for myself).

Treasure Trove

After dating my boyfriend for nearly two and a half years, we recently discovered that we had a common interest of digging for gold in thrift stores. One of our new favorite places to go is our local Habitat for Humanity store. My boyfriend in particular loves digging through the many bins of little random do-dads and thing-a-mabobs and while he was off digging, I was looking at the cast offs of furniture.  I wandered around for awhile and then came across a rickety chair that had definitely seen better days. The edges were worn and the fabric on the cushion was definitely old, but it had some classic lines and with a little bit of work could be a gorgeous chair.  I quickly grabbed my boyfriend to show him my find and we decided it would be a great project for me.  We purchased the chair for a bank-breaking $2 (now you know why we love this store) and brought it home. 

The next day I was so excited to get started and made the trip to Jo-Ann's to get some fabric.  I found three different patterns that could change the chair in numerous ways, but had a hard time decided which direction to go in. I could make the chair traditional or go super funky and fun.  In the end I purchased all three fabrics since they will all be used eventually anyways!

I already have a few ideas of what I want to do to the chair, but I would welcome any suggestions about which fabric to use and what color the frame should be, it could be funky or traditional, there are no wrong combinations.  Once I have decided which direction I'm gonna go I will post again the results!