We’ve had a beloved dining table in our family for a long time. It originally came from the Sears Mail Order Catalog some time around 1905. It was shipped from the Sears company in Chicago out to California by train, as a kit to be assembled. My great-grandfather used it to furnish his Santa Cruz mountain farm house. Now it’s being used in my house.
Without any leaves, it is an excellent round table for two; with both leaves in it can seat six people. I have used it in several apartments since the size is just right for smaller spaces, and it can be expanded for guests. When the Wiseguy and I got our new house my parents had the table refinished for us and we began using it in the dining room.
Soon we realized that we would need a larger dining table, both for the size of the room, and for the number of family members we entertain at events. However, we did really need a large oval coffee table for the living room…
This is where I got my great idea.
I thought, “How about we take the legs off the dining table and get shorter legs to make it a coffee table?” Because the table was assembled from a kit, the legs simply unscrew. Swapping long legs out for short ones is no big deal. And of course we kept the long legs in case we ever want to switch back.
This is the table newly shortened, and set up in the living room:
Here the legs are stained to match:
Big thanks go out to my parents for refinishing the table to a beautiful condition, and to my FIL for staining the legs to match the table.
Have you ever converted or re-stained furniture? How did it go for you?
Cheers,
Alison
.jpeg "wild tulip bouquet 1 | thistle and plum")
.jpeg "wild tulip bouquet 2 | thistle and plum")
.jpeg "wild tulip bouquet 3 | thistle and plum")
Alison, I missing my bouquet Mondays!! Hope all is well up your way.