It has been a little while since I wrote anything, this is partly due to a family visit, and also we have been busy with sorting and organising the house and garden ready for winter.
A bit back I shared a post on how I built a bathroom, as you can see from this picture there was a door that led to the outside, which we didn’t need and so I created a built in shelf unit.
Since I built the bathroom, the door has been sat in the barn taking up space and not being used, this got me to thinking, what possible use could I have for this door, then through discussion with the two ladies we decided to turn this left over door into a useable piece of furniture, namely a table.
As you can see, the table consists of three wide planks measuring just over 3 feet wide and has a total length of 6 feet, so this is not just a normal size table but one in which you can comfortably sit 6 people, but can easily accommodate 8 people if needed, and still have space for putting serving plates and such in the middle.
The table is of a really simple construction, some 8×6 timber for the framework, the door for the top and some left over salvaged wood for the shelf across the bottom.
All in the total cost for materials came in at about £10 not including the door or the shelf, so as you can see, a really cheap build with the wow factor and you can’t even buy a table in a second hand shop for £10, let alone one of this size.
I sanded down all the timber and then my wife waxed and varnished the wood, so that we could use the table outside without the worry of the table becoming wet and damaged due to our weather here.
I have kept the lock covering in place, partly for the aesthetics, but also to keep the originality and so that it can be clearly seen that this was a door at some point. I always prefer to have furniture that tells a story, rather than some brand new flat pack crap that you would get out of Ikea or some other similar mass produced crud store. It always amazes me how you can take a piece of wood that has had years and years of use, that has deep ingrained dirt and has had some abuse, and transform it into a useable piece of furniture that should hopefully last for years and years, rather than it just becoming firewood or decaying into nothing.
Originally the table was destined for my man cave, but I have been reliably informed that it will be going into the house for the girls, as they both like it so much, so keep watching the site, and at some point in the future, I will no doubt be building a new table or tables, for my man cave.
So if you are like me, and if you are reading this, then I’m guessing that we have similar interests, next time you see a piece of furniture or salvage, don’t just look at it, as it’s original use, but think of it as something else, and you never know you could end up with a cracking piece of furniture for next to no money.
Feel free to comment below and let me know what you think to my efforts, I must admit that I am really happy with it, and the rustic look that I have been able to keep.