Metal and Wood

I love the combination of rusty old metal and bare wood.  Old crusty white paint makes me happy, too! This week I refinished these three gems for my next (and last!) Barn Loft show.

First, the coffee table.  This is what the top looked like before I removed all the boards and planed them:  rough and dirty.

And THIS is what they looked like after...wow!  The metal parts got a good scrubbing with a wire brush, and I finished the boards with a single coat of poly.  I was considering keeping this one, but it sold before I had a chance to make the switch!

And here's what my work table looked like after planing all those boards.

Now that's a fun mess!  (Did I mention how much I love my planer?  And the man who gave it to me?)

Next up, the wood and metal side table.  I picked this piece at the Todd Farm flea market a few weeks ago.  The top was painted red and covered with grease and unidentified stains...yuck.

I scrubbed and scraped and sanded...and scrubbed and sanded again.  And then, voila!  Look at the top now, after a coat of poly and a quick wax.

Finally, I grabbed this little chippy table from one of the booths at Mill City Antiques.  It needed a little love.

Okay, maybe a lot of love.

But it was worth it.  The wood has a beautiful patina and the paint is just chippy enough to let the wood shine through.  I added an antique glass knob to the little drawer at the bottom.  Perfect!

I can't wait to get back to the flea market to see what treasures I can uncover next!  In the meantime, this is what I'm working on...

This is the future home of my workshop!  My boyfriend and I are converting his garage into a workshop where I can build, refinish and reinvent!  Now that's love!!!  My books, paper and creative headquarters will be moving to the Waumbec Mill in Manchester, right upstairs from Mill City Antiques!  The move should be complete by June 1st!

Stay tuned for more pictures of our progress.

Happy hunting!

Michelle