I have one of those ideas in my head that I should ignore. But I don't think I'm going to. Uh oh. Here we go again.
me, two years ago just before Christmas when I decided to build bookcases in my dining room.
It has been exactly 2 weeks since my house has looked like the bottom of a dumpster. I've been out of a major mess, (after finishing my new, old dining room floors) for exactly 14 days. That mess involved floor sanding, floor finishes, paint trays, paint brushes, stained clothing and plastic hanging in my doorways to contain the sawdust blizzard to one room.
I am always in a mess. Not sometimes, not usually, - always. Mainly always anyway. I'm definitely in a mess more often than I'm not in a mess, as anyone who has ever come into my house on any day other than the day a magazine is shooting here will tell you.
And actually even then it's a mess, but it's not my mess, it's the photographer's mess.
Let's review just a few of the messes I've gotten myself into over the past couple of years shall we?
A Look Back at Some of My Extraordinary Messes
This is my backyard mess from building my pizza oven.
This is the mess from building my library/dining room bookcases 2 Christmases ago. It's actually the clean up of the first mess (putting in the bookcases), before the starting of the second mess (cutting and installing the trim and crown mouldings).
The redoing my kitchen mess. I remember it fondly.
The more recent "I'm just going to pull up one floor board to see what's under here mess."
The "I really like what's under those floorboards, I'm gonna rip up ALL THE FLOORS IN MY HOUSE!!!", mess.
This is just a small sampling you understand and doesn't include less significant messes like tearing out walls.
Now, with Christmas just moments away I'm considering getting into another mess. It's my dining room table. I love my dining room table. I had it custom made from antique barnboard. The entire tabletop is only 2 boards. One of those boards is 27" wide!
My dining room table at Christmas a few years ago. The photo is desaturated a little bit, so the table is actually more orange in real life.
But when I had the table made I thought the man making it would leave the original patina. I mean, that's why you buy 150 year old pieces of wood, right? But he didn't. He sanded that wood down to a glossy new finish and I've been disappointed with it ever since. He did a beautiful job finishing it and building it. It's a masterpiece. It just isn't exactly what I wanted. I wanted a table made of old wood that looked old. But I didn't convey that well enough. Also. It's orange. That's the thing about pine. Finish it in any way other than a water based finish and your lovely pale pine goes orange.
From the day it landed in my house I've said I was going to refinish the table eventually. And now I don't think I can stop myself from doing it. I want to strip off the finish and stain and bring it back to a natural wood. Right now. Moments before Christmas. I blame it on my new/old dining room floor. I love the floor so much and it's the look I've always wanted for my dining room table.
I just don't want the mess.
Have a good weekend!
Carrie B
Oh man! The patina's the whole point. Gorgeous table though. There's only two of us but I wish I had a table like that. It makes me think of large opulent dining parties of days long ago. (Yes! I'm a Downton fan😊)
It's only the 7th and Karen, we all know how you work so get sanding girl!! Can't wait to see it finished...again.😁
BTW, every time I see that painting (Margaret? Is it?) I want to know her story. She looks hauntingly sad!!
Well, happy holidays all🎄🎄🎁🎁
Also, this spring,if we don't start on my very own pizza oven....I will combust!🍕🍕
Maura
YOU are making me very anxious 😟
Carrie
On man! Of course you want the patina! That's the point. It's a gorgeous table though. There's only two of us but I wish I had a table like that.it reminds me of large opulent dining parties of days long ago. (Yes! Downtown fan for sure😊)
It's only the 7th so get sanding girl!! We know how you work Karen, there's plenty of time! Can't wait to see it finished.....again😁
BTW, every time I see that painting (Margaret? Is it?) I want to know her story. She looks hauntingly sad!
Well, happy holidays all🎄🎄🎁🎁
Karen
I have a tiny bit of information on Margaret on the back of the painting. When I first bought her, I looked it up on the Internet but the Internet grows so much every year that I bet there's way more information to be found now. I should try researching her again! ~ karen
Alice
Thanks a lot! By letting us know that refinishing pine with WATER BASED varnish will banish the orange, you've given me an idea! Actually, a brain worm. I have enough to do already. But oh no, this knowledge is going to sit in my brain, nagging me everyday, until I give in and try it. It never occurred to me that I could get rid of the orange color in older, but not antique, pine pieces.
Seriously, I can't wait to see how your table turns out!
Karen
Just remember that pine will always age and it will always age in that warm, orangeish way. But it's the polyurethane that makes it REALLY day-glow orange. Also always do test runs with whatever finish you're using just to make sure. They all act differently on different woods even of the same species. ~ karen!
Carswell
I'm interested to see how it comes out - I too have a custom made harvest table from old boards. The tabletop must be the sister to yours, it is 39" wide and only two boards, one wider than the other.
Mine were planed, but I opted to leave the worm holes and knots unfilled (which require a periodic excavation of crumbs with some toothpicks) but mine was never varnished. It has only ever been waxed.
It has aged to a deep reddish gold and since I have no other pine I can live with its colour - but I hear ya on the orange hate.
Karen
At least that would be the naturally aged colour which looks ... natural! The unnatural orange look is from the oils in stains and finishes. I'm sure yours is nice. Nicer than mine anyway. ~ karen!
Shauna
Did he refinish the underside of the barnboards? Maybe you could flip the table top and have the original beautiful patina.
Karen
I know! He sort of, kind of finished the underside. It's not sanded down as much. But that would involve taking apart the entire table, the legs, the skirts, everything, so basically it means rebuilding the whole thing. :/ ~ karen!
Ecoteri
I want to read all the comments but I need to put on my iPhone iplashlight and go out to sleep in my trailer because the 'free bathtub' renovation is still not complete, my own bed has a pile of clothing on it because access to the clothes closet is necessary for the Asbestos remediation, the knob and tube electrical remediation, and eventually when they are done I might actually get insulation in my attic and scuttles...
So, I personally won't be taking on any more projects because I have learned that a free bathtub can be a very expensive offering....
And I sure hope that by the time #1 daughter is kicked out of University Residence for winter break, we have a bedroom for her - the trailer is a bit small
just saying.... sadly...
Oh, and, it is really cold here for Vancouver Island - like - REALLY cold, chicken water frozen cold. so the trailer is cold.
but Karen, go ahead, redo your table. I will enjoy your posts while I look at the piles of a spare twin bed and a collection of sound muffling devices that seem to have taken up residence in my living room. Who needs 4 sound muffling devices that are 3 X4 foot and covered in black fabric, if one is not a musician?
Oh, clearly I am complaining again about #1 son and his penchant for leaving weird things in my rather small house.
At least I know that my floors are almost 100 year old fir floors and in very decent shape, as for decades they were covered with some kind of awful wall-to-wall, which was removed about 10 years ago... So decent floors. yucky plumbing, electrical and insulation, mind you.....
Michele Morrison
Karen, enjoy your new project, I'm sure we will love hearing about it. And you probably already know this, but if you want to use the table for Christmas, factor in the "fully cured" time or it will start looking banged up sooner rather than later.
Kate
I hate orange pine. Please do it.
Meg
I say do it! Nothing like a good deadline to get the oomph to fling yourself out of bed directly into a dust mask and gloves! Besides, if you were the normal type of person to schedule this when you had spare time, you wouldn't be nearly the person you are.
Moments from December, I brought all the furniture from my large storage unit into my apartment. Thereby creating a Klotski puzzle of epic proportion. Furniture jammed in every walkway, on the furniture I already had, pieces piled on each other. I had done a floorplan first, to make sure everything could fit somewhere... It seemed like a great idea a couple weeks ago. It's been days now and I'm tired of moving heavy things through this mess. But the deadline of family and friends dropping by at the holidays is a /strong/ motivator!! hahah.
Karen
Well so long as you have a floor plan it should be a breeze, hahaha! Good luck with your puzzle. :) ~ karen
meg
good luck with your table!! hahaha!
Addie
Go for it!!!!! .......are you having company for Christmas???? Ahhhhh...GO for it anyway!!!
Karen
Yep. I host a Christmas Eve party every year, lol. Yuppppp. ~ karen!
Paula
Do it! I have some very wide barn boards out in our very old barn...hmmmmm.
Kelly ~ It took me 10 years to lose 10 pounds
Everything you touch turns to gold. I mean, pale pine. Your table is going to be beautiful. Can't wait to see the transformation! Your CAN DO attitude inspires me, Karen.
Karen
Thanks Kelly. As I'm sure you know, you can do too! ~ karen
Teri on the left coast
Do it. You know it will be exactly what you want and it will be your Christmas present to you.
Besides what are you going to do until Christmas if you don’t have a project. We, your loyal followers, know you don’t find relaxing, relaxing.
And it will be inspiring for the rest of us just to know you are creating.
Cynthia Grogan
Karen, you just about stole my very own saying: The 4 most feared words for my husband to hear is: "I've got an idea!" Another great T-shirt saying.
This gal from Texas so admires your energy and ideas. Wish we lived a little closer, we could really make a mess together!!
Karen
Love the "I've got an idea" thing, lol!! ~ karen
Nicole
I usually start with "I was thinking . . ." and his response is for me to stop thinking. :)
Paula
My husband gets nervous when I say ..."You know I've been thinking"
Robert
I'm having palpitations! 😰
Kim
Do. It.
Karin
Do. It!
DO. IT!
Leslie
Your messes always morh into beauty. Go for it ... make a mess!
Tina
I agree! With anyone else, I’d force feed them Valium, keep them sedated enouhg to get through the holidays. With Karen, she could do it and it would be a work of art, and done in plenty of time for Xmas!
TucsonPatty
It will only take just a little bit of time, right? You’ll be done in no time. Few days at the most. Maybe a week. You can do it. I believe in you. You do you. Somebody stop me! Is that enough cheering section now? Seriously, this is what you do for fun - go for it. It will be gorgeous!
Karen
I still have a nagging feeling that it's a stupid idea for some reason, lol. I usually ignore those feelings. ~ karen!
charissa
oh, Karen. i am getting heart palpitations for you. omg... right before Christmas?!?! you are crazy, girl. and that is why we all love you. i know u will do it and pull it off and make it beautiful before Christmas. A very small part of me wants to give you a hug and a very large cocktail and strap you down until Christmas tho. I'll send the hug anyway. Merry Christmas xoxo
Nancy W
Omg that would be fabulous. Make a mess as usual!