The only question now is what to use as the base? I had some old timbers from a barn up north and wondered if I could somehow use those as legs or trestle.
As often happens, just as I am trying to find the right solution to a problem, the solution presents itself. This time it appeared in front of me on the way down the street for my morning run. Smack in the center of the sidewalk in front of me stood an old table. The top was in really rough shape...it had obviously been left out in the rain too long....but the base was salvageable.
It had two drawers that would be great storage for flatware and I liked the lines on the legs. The center dowel was cracked though and I thought I would have to repair it if it was to be strong enough to hold the door's weight.
The veneer on the legs was peeling and I contemplated gluing it back together but decided I would peel it off and sand it. Turns out this gave it a more rustic industrial feel which I liked.
I worked at cleaning it up, peeling off the veneer and sanding it smooth. When I took a closer look at the spindle in the center, I realized it would have to be replaced. I had a really great and rustic timber in the workshop that would be perfect to use as a support between the two curved leg pieces. I removed the dowel and attached the new/old timber after cutting it to size.
The door/tabletop didn't take much work at all...just a light sanding down. I fixed the door on top of the base and put some stain on the whole thing. A final coat of tung oil and it was finished. I had left some of the door hardware on to add interest. All it needs is a piece of glass to use as a smooth surface.
Here is the finished product......I think it looks great and so did my client!
Here it is with the glass on top in their dining room.
I love the fact that a cast off door and table that might have ended up in a landfill somewhere can have a new life in someone's home!
