Upcycling a table

These last few weeks have been a whirl wind of activity in our home.  Last prom, last time wearing a school uniform, and last school leaver’s service.  In the afternoon heat, waving the school programme in front of shiny faces, we sang, we stood, we sat,  we clapped, we sang, we stood and we sat again and then we watched a DVD compiled of school trips and days out, from their early days as little boys and girls to their last days as young men and women and I realised how quickly it’s all passed by… we shuffled out, wiped tears, sniffed, drank toasts and congratulated, hugged, patted backs and shook hands and lastly said goodbye…to lost rugby socks, forgotten lunch boxes, pens, lunch money and books,  ever thankful for lasting friendships, countless sleepovers, laughter, shared experiences and camaraderie.   So to my Son, I am immensely proud of who you are and the man you are becoming. Thank you for finishing strong.

I’ve also been having a lot of fun.  I absolutely love finding something for FREE and changing it into something useful and beautiful.   When we were doing the little house project, the house was derelict and full of rubbish, and most of it went straight to the tip.  But in the corner of one room was this old wooden table, which looked quite sturdy, and I felt not yet ready to be dumped.  I knew I could do something with it.  Initially I thought about sanding it down and giving it a coat of Annie Sloan old white …but then I started thinking of an ottoman and how good it would look covered in a deep tufting.

So this is what it looked like before the makeover:

and this is what it looks like now, ignore the clashing fabrics, it’s merely been placed here so I could take photos… it will be moving to a new lounge soon in a much calmer two toned setting of grey and off white.

I didn't want to use expensive fabric, that sort of defeats the object of finding something for free, but I wanted it to look good, so I went for a simple rose design in canvas cotton by Ikea for £6 a metre.  I used my trusted upholsterer Lesley and gave her my brief.  Whilst Lesley was busy with the top half, I got painting the framework.   I used Annie Sloan Paris Grey which I had left over from another project.  The tufting is simply beautiful, you still get to see the design and it works really well with the painted table legs. 

I've been on the beach along with a couple of hundred other people this afternoon, it's been a scorcher! And although I'm not one to complain about the weather, it’s school holidays and the last thing we want is bad weather, but a storm is approaching and with it the wind…and I am just ever so grateful for the breeze!

So have you ever done anything like this?  Do tell!

Sharon

xxx