7.14.2011

i thought i wanted to be square...

Tuesday's post covered our dining room remodel.  The table in the post wasn't the table we bought for the room.  No it was not.  I searched for about a year to find the right table.  I was so happy to find this one and up until last year, it was in my dining room looking like this...


The 6ft square of dark wood was perfect.  I liked the clean lines and the idea that it was a little "different".  What I did not like was I couldn't reach the middle.  It was impossible to pass anything across the table or reach the food in the center for family style dining.  Also very hard to play games at this table and you know, we do play games in our house.  We kept the table for a couple years because it was expensive and the remodel budget had been depleted. 

Then a miracle of sorts happened.  I saw a table in our friends garage and I liked it.  Seeing as I'm so charming or perhaps more that he was so kind, he gave it to me.  My friend actually made the table from a door, yes a door and some metal hardware and legs he had fashioned at his machine shop.  The color wasn't right so Andrew Henry stripped and restained it and voila...


It is SO much better for us functionally.  I'm also not thrilled with the light fixture I originally picked out...


but I'm keeping my eyes open in my friends garage :)

17 comments:

MJM said...

They do have pretty good recycles! The long table is so much better in that room!

Julie of Monkey Grass Hill said...

It always pays to compliment things on friends floors, and garages! Looks great. I got one of my favorite chandeliers that way too.

Stitchfork said...

Wow, what a find! Love this table and it opens the door to so much more!
xo Cathy

Stacey said...

love the new table! i had a square pub table and switched it out for the rectangular one that i have now(i switched mine for different reasons, but in the end it suited the space better). sounds like your neighbor's garage has lots of treasure!:-)

Kim@Chattafabulous said...

Hi Jeanette! I love the new look in your dining room, and practical always trumps pretty. Nice to have both, right?

quintessence said...

Wow - lucky you!! And I actually rather like the light fixture but perhaps you now want something now so modern?

Linda said...

The new table is perfect! Glad you shared the story. Easy to imagine you sitting at the table with Andrew Henry. What happened to the square?

Never would have guessed the table started life as a door. Reminds me of a favorite desk my father made for me when I was a girl. A repurposed barn door, painted yellow to match the gingham curtains in my bedroom, and mounted on saw horse legs. Many a creative project and homework done on that desk!

Pamela said...

Lucky duck! We have the WORST dining table. But it works well to have a child color on it and we don't have to worry. I like your light fixture! can't wait to see the new table today!

Dovecote Decor said...

I'm with the others, I like your light fixture.We are excited to be included in HGTV's Freebie Friday giveaway tomorrow. We are giving away a cool Asian lacquer coffee or low side table in one of 5 color options, so come on by for a chance to win!! Its worth upwards of $500.00 so its our biggest yet.
Good Luck!
Liz

Andrew H. said...

We are enjoying our door/table. As my wife knows, I am a fan of function and it works great.

k said...

i loooove that table! i think i do that a lot - i buy something thinking it will be amazing, and then it's really not. then you really do have to live with it for awhile, which i'm doing with some things now! maybe my taste just changes to fast!

Maria said...

yep - one day gonna go on my own table quest - for that farm table - that might have been a door (saw a coffee shop in Denver once that made all of their counter tops from old 6 paneled doors - really cool!)Just hoping I fond my fit before I stop feeling like we really NEED one that already has all of its character scratched into it!

BluBabesCreate said...

Love that modern look. Come see the Bastille Day post!

angryparsnip said...

Wonderful table you have now and how it fits the space and your life style.

Your new table is almost the opposite of my table. Mine is almost to narrow but it fit the space in my last home and it works in this one. I like it and really that it all that matters.

My children have used doors for just about everything. Really useful come in all sizes. My work table is two doors smushed together. Love the work space.

cheers, parsnip

Lisa Lisa Lisa said...

That is INCREDIBLE! What a fantastic table! I really like your original one, but the new one meets your functions and is beautiful.

Jane Kilpatrick Schott said...

Much better. I love the new look and what a brilliant idea!

lisaroy said...

LOVE your new table! It looks so much better in the space. That would drive me crazy not being able to reach across - sometimes things aren't that practical even though they look good. Can't wait to see if you switch out your light fixture :)