Old Table Redux

Friday, April 4, 2014

Old Table Redux

I went to an auction a few years ago, and I fell in love.

I didn't know if it was an antique, but oooh, when I first saw this baby, I knew I wanted it.

I'll admit that I coveted.

I lusted after it.

I yearned to have it.

I prayed that God would allow it to belong to me, and when bidding time came for it, oh yeah. You can believe that I was cut-throat about obtaining this table.

It wasn't in wonderful shape, I'll admit. The people I was with didn't like it and didn't hesitate to tell me about it either. Loudly.

They sneered.

They cajoled.

They groaned and grimaced.

I laughed in the face of their derision.

If there's one thing I know about myself, if I like something, I like it. No matter what other people think. And this table with its Queen Anne legs and scratched off surface that told stories of its own, spoke to me.

It had potential to be something beautiful.

So, after a few years of procrastination, I finally pulled my baby outside and began to make it the way I saw it in my mind. Beautiful. Bold. Refreshed.

The top was really the only thing I needed to refinish as the legs were fine, so I stripped it down until all the finish was off, being very meticulous not to get any goo on the sides.

(a.k.a. - I'm a newbie at stripping and refinishing things, and I didn't want to hurt it beyond repair.)

It wasn't enough that I wanted to redo the table. That's all well and fine. But I wanted something different.

Something that not everyone else has.

Something that had my personality.

(Hehehe, this should scare you.)

Using tailor's chalk, string, and a piece of metal to anchor the string to, I traced two circular patterns in the center of the table, pulled out my wall stencil and a lighter shade of brown, and began stenciling

inside the smaller chalk circle, stopping at the edge of the circle.

Because we must be different, right?

Unique.

Next, using a smaller stencil that would complement the interior design, I placed it evenly around the perimeter of the table and stenciled the outer edge.

The next step was not the easiest, I'll admit.

I had to wait for the stencil paint to dry.

ugh.

A few hours later, J and I took the table back outside where I could stain the entire top until my heart was content.

I was happy.

I had a paintbrush, a free weekend (very rare), and it was sunny.

Oh yeah...!