Coffee Table Clean Up

I got this coffee table thanks to my friend DDT, which I outlined in this post, here. 

It was already in need of a little love back then, and now after a move across the country, it was definitely time.

Obviously the first thing I did was employ slave labour.

Once we finished sanding, we cleaned it really well, ensuring all the sand was off of it. Much to my surprise, the center of the table and the sides were not the same wood species. Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cooooo, coooo....

As you know from other posts, my favourite product is tung oil. 

I always find the instructions weird, however. Leave on 5-10 minutes and then wipe off. However, if I leave it that long, it always gums up. So, instead I apply liberally, over entire surface, and by the time I get from one end to the other (2 minutes?), I start at the beginning and remove it. This always works best for me. If you use a different product and have different results, let me know.

Additional notes:

-Before I started, I sanded a small section on the bottom of the table to see what the actual wood colour was, and used tung oil on that spot. Once I saw the colour, I decided to go ahead with tung oil.

-I re-sanded after the first coat of tung oil with 320 grit sandpaper.

-I then added two more coats.

-There are 24 hours between each coat.

With only one coat, the natural beauty of the wood is obvious. The two-tone wood is a different look than before, but I like it.

After a second coat, the cat is in agreement that this is a good look.

I have more things to finish in the living room, but this is one item off the list!

The luster/sheen of tung oil is so naturally beautiful. This is why I love this product.

A quick styling of the table includes:

-a cork trivet with a plant on it

-a wood puzzle

-some books including: Vancouver Interiors (I'm originally from BC, though not Vancouver); Borough Market in London (where I worked for a couple of years); and a book on the Arts & Crafts movement in design.

Here's a final before and after.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mini Project: Table Settings

The holidays are upon us and I wanted to do a layered table setting. My philosophy is to use what you have, no matter the occasion, you can easily find items that will bring the overall vision to fruition.

Now, on the face of it, these gas-station china that inherited don't scream Christmas, but that shouldn't deter from using them. Other accessories can bring even this summer theme to a winter-y vibe.

My cream striped table cloth will do nicely as the back drop.

I found these napkins that don't have a winter-y theme, either, but have a shimmer, that will do well.

To really bring in the Christmas of it all, I went to the dollar store and bought these gold leaf charger plates to sit under the dinner plate.

I picked up a simple and inexpensive runner at Ikea; red for a pop of Christmas colour.

Now it is time to put it all together. Layering: table cloth, runner, charger plate, dinner plate.

Silverware could be layered on the napkin, but I chose to go beside. Knife always goes on the right, edge toward the plate, glass directly above the knife. Here's an graphic showing the formal setting. Generally, you won't have this many unless it is a 5+ course meal, so pick and choose based on what you will be eating. Basically, you sort your utensils in the order with which they are served, with the outermost utensils being used first, and making your way in towards the plate.

Finally, to bring in the winter-chic, I went outside and clipped some branches from a tree in my front yard. I pruned them to make a little tidier for use as a center piece, and used some of the smaller ones to jazz up the layering.

Each place setting - simple yet effective. I chose to layer the napkin over the dinner plate since my plate is so summer-like. Add a bread plate if you have bread, wine glasses, water goblets, or a dessert spoon if you need it, get creative!!

The finished table.

So, the moral of the story, it doesn't have to cost a lot if you use what you already have, and get inventive!

Reclaimed Wood: Harvest Table

Our dining room table is weird; the proportions are off.
The base is pretty substantial, and then the top only overhangs by an inch or two.
It served its purpose well, but the last couple of family visits have shown that we need something bigger. The current dimensions are 35" x 45" (889x1143).

Junking: By Proxy

I had to work today.

Did that stop me from junking? Hells no!

Never underestimate the power of a smart phone!

DIY Wedding 2010: Part 2

In my previous post, DIY Wedding 2010: Part 1, I showed you the beginnings of the DIY projects for the wedding. In this post, we move into the table decorations!

Table numbers were important, and just like with the books from the last post, I played with various patterns.

Patio Table: In a Pinch

Fortune smiles on us once in a while, and for us, it was last year when our friends Jeff & Helen gave us a beautiful patio table set. For FREE!! Being that it was late in the summer, AND we didn't really have our back patio ready for such a thing, we stored it. Sometime between then and now, we managed to lose the connector for the legs. Doh!

Before I get into the DIY aspect, I wanna mention that my friends Jeff & Helen are probably a couple of the neatest people I know. My hubby and I have had the pleasure of being in a couple of their horror shorts and some of their photo shoots.

Check out heLENS photography to see her work.
Or here to see us as models. LOL!!!

Junking: Unnecessary Items

I may have created a monster.
My hubby calls me at work to tell me that he found a new thrift store. Great!
Then he says that he found a chair and he was going to send me a photo right now.
What? Umm, okay? Wait, why isn't he at work? Oh, here is the photo... hmmm, not too bad.
So I tell him, if he likes it to pick it up.

That was last week.
Today, we had different plans, but somehow ended up going junking.
First stop, our favorite little honey-hole.