DIY Salvage Entry Table

In our home, we have a long entry wall. One so long that it dwarfed most entry tables. I found this one on Pottery Barn that I loved, but I would have to be crazy to pay that much for it. The main reason I browse most furniture catalogs is to merely get inspiration, and this table was the inspiration for the table I was to make.

One Saturday, we ventured to downtown Fort Worth to see if the architectural salvage warehouse, Discount Home Warehouse, had some balusters. I found some nice bulky ones and got four. They sat in my garage for a long time until I finally figured out what I wanted the top to look like, and how to make it. 

I made a little digital rendition of how I was going to attach the legs to the table. Since these weren't made to be table legs, they have a round top instead a a squared out one. So I adapted and it worked out great. I was going to have aprons that completely surrounded the table with the legs set behind the aprons. I mitered the corners and screwed them to the table top from the bottom side of each apron board with long wood screws. 

I used 1x6 whitewood boards to make the top. I pieced three boards together, wood gluing the first two, and then glued the third on. I then used a few metal brackets (called mending plates) and short wood screws on the underside to secure the three boards together even more. 

I had to sand down each leg to get rid of their glossy poly finish. Each leg had holes and notches from where they were attached- I decided to leave the holes to add character and remember that they were salvaged not store bought. Then, I painted primed them, let dry, then painted them. 

After the table top's glue dried, I cut and mitered the aprons and attached them to the table top. Then, following what I did in my digital sketch above, I cut some corner braces and screwed them into the aprons and then into each leg twice.  Once it was all together, I painted the top and aprons. I did a few coats and when they were thoroughly dry, I distressed the edges of everything. I let it all cure and then moved it inside.

Here's where it sits today:

I think it's fitting that a salvaged window from SMU hangs above it- salvaged friends. The table fits the space great and I have fun re-decorating it as each holiday comes along.

First Time Upholstery

**This post is old, but I couldn't pass up the chance to take part in Thrifty Decor Chick's Goodwill Party. Head on over to her blog for more thrifted projects and inspiration!

After doing the aqua color inspiration post below, I realized that I never posted my upholstery project on this blog. I posted it on my family blog, so I apologize to those who've already seen this- looking at these old pictures makes me realize how much my place has changed since then! Anyways, here's how the story goes, take into account that this was my very first upholstery project:

One morning, my mom, sister, and I decided to go yard sale hopping. After a few yards of disappointment, we stumbled upon an incredible find- a pair of cane armed chairs! I had been dreaming of some cane chairs for a while, and when I saw these I knew it was a match made in, well, Yard Sale Heaven. I talked the lady down a whole $5 from her original price and bought the pair for $35! Aren't they lovely?

When we came home, I got out the screw driver and immediately went to work- and I mean WORK! I never knew how many staples it took to hold some fabric in place on a chair! By the end (which was a few days later...) my hands were sore and red. Eventually it looked like this:
See, here's the evidence of my hard work:

After tearing the chairs apart, I went searching DFW for the perfect fabric. We looked near and far, but eventually, I found the fabric that was right for me at my local Hobby Lobby of all places. A couple yards and a few bucks later, I was home and ready to tackle my first upholstery project. Wait, that was right after I start, and finish painting them. So then I had to pick out the right color, prime, and paint coat after coat to cover the dark stain. Thanks to my sister and mom who helped with this stage!
By the end, it was a few months later, but the result of the work payed off with two, unique, original, and to my taste, chairs! They are comfy and cute and cost around $70 total for the pair! (The table next to the chair is also a yard sale redo- used to be blue, then brown, now aqua!)

Don't worry, I don't keep them on our patio, they stay inside where they are protected!

( I bought another chair that yard sale morning that is still sitting in my parents attic waiting for it's chance at a makeover...)