Back to the Drawing Table

I recently had another project for Hub (because he did SO well on this last one). Since our move into our new home (a little over a year now), we’ve had this empty corner in our family room that I just wasn’t sure what to do with. I’ve had ideas to fill it with book shelves, a little desk, or perhaps 2 little chairs to make for a nice, cozy arrangement. I usually don’t rush these home decorating things because the right thing always seems to come along…eventually...as was the case with this empty corner.

Leave it to Anthropologie to inspire and remind me of a long forgotten piece of furniture I had stowed away down in a dark corner of my parents’ basement…covered in boxes of my old Barbie dolls, school work, and other such junk. In an Anthro catalogue I received late Spring or so, they had a spread highlighting their beautiful plush sofa, curtains, and a coffee table…but way back in the corner of the room sat a rustic, old drawing table. I HAVE one of those, I thought to myself! And I HAVE an empty corner, just waiting to be filled! So on a visit to Mum & Dad’s, I worked on going through my piles & boxes of junk (a task needing to be done anyhow) to uncover my long lost wooden drawing table. I had spent sooo many hours at this old table as a child…crafting things & painting & playing. (I guess I really haven’t changed much…I’m just sitting at a different desk now.) Eventually Mum & Dad lugged the old table up to my home on one of their visits this summer. Here's my old drawing table...covered in paint and well-distressed...before it got its face-lift:
Hub borrowed my Dad’s super powerful sander and went to work sanding off a thin layer of the table’s very paint covered and scratched up top (photo #1, after sanding). I still wanted it to be a bit rustic and old looking, but just not that rustic...especially since it would be going in our family room. We purchased a natural stain (photo #2) and after 4 coats of a clear, semi-gloss polycrylic protective finish (photo #3)…I’m immensely satisfied! (Thank you, thank you, Hub!) The legs are a dark shade of green with paint missing in spots and a bit worn-looking, but we decided not to touch those. We think they look nifty as is.
I have great plans for this table now…to add a pile of books (since we still have no bookshelves) or a shelf and some pictures on the wall above it… a bell jar with an orchid underneath perhaps…and 1 or 2 very modern-ish stools (perhaps leather-topped) to balance the old and rustic-ness of the table. I want to make this a little multi-purpose spot...to eat a bowl of cereal, peruse a catalogue, jot a little note, or even do a bit of sketching since it is a drawing table after all. Now that the table’s done, I hope we’ll accomplish just that.

P.S. The little middle left photo (above) is of the edge of the table...I love how the wood looks along the edges now...the stain and poly really helped to make the grain pop! :)