A few days ago, I posted on our wormy chestnut coffee table. A few years back, we realized we needed a new table for our guesthouse. Instead of buying one, Mike made one using reclaimed barnwood — wormy chestnut. Here’s the table.
I like this table. Mike gave the legs and top a finish but he left the “apron” of the table as unfinished barn siding.
The table is a little smaller than a “normal” table because it has to fit in a tight space at the top of the steps.
Here’s another piece that uses the wormy chestnut wood that Mike likes. It’s back in the den at our house…
And another…please forgive my stars. I need to get those down. They went up years ago as a quick fix to some places in the wall. Why didn’t I just fix the paint?
I love weddings. They are so hopeful and pretty. And of all the weddings I love, I love country weddings the best. If you’re on Pinterest looking for wedding ideas, you know that I am not alone.
Just a little over a month ago…we were all scrambling to make sure Delaney’s Day was perfect, and I believe if it wasn’t perfect, it was pretty close to perfect. (There was a little snag on the amount of food at the brunch on the day following…the one I was responsible for….but we’ll not dwell on that.)
I hope you enjoy this wedding video as much as I did. I’ve watched it repeatedly. My tears came when she came up in the truck. Whew!
Did you cry? I double dog dare you to tell me in a comment below!!
Isn’t this a lovely picture? Our neighbor, Dr. D’Amato gave us these apples which I’m certain are heirloom because they taste so good.
Those apples reminded me of my den which is also a red color, and as I was sitting eating one of the apples this afternoon in the den, I decided to take some pictures of our wormy chestnut coffee table. I did so because when I review what Google searches land a reader at RiverCliff Cottage, I see the words “wormy chestnut” frequently.
Here’s the coffee table Mike made a few years back. While our house is not rustic, our den is, and this table is perfect. We can put our feet on it, knock it around or leave soft drink cans on it. Nothing phases it. This is furniture made to work.
It’s not all wormy chestnut. The legs are made from reclaimed walnut.
Unfinished barn siding makes up the table’s apron — I am a tobacco farmer’s daughter. I’m sure this barn siding housed tobacco at one time since it came from Southwest Virginia. I like furniture that tells a story and this table tells part of my story.
Here’s another picture…
It sits right in front of the fireplace, and Gerald (my brother in law) and Mike made the mantle above the fireplace. It’s very simple, but again, it’s wormy chestnut.
Quite a few folks commented or wrote to me on Facebook about the slipcovered chair and ottoman that is now in our living room. Here’s the post. While I knew that I loved the concept of slipcovers which could be washed, I was a little worried about the slipcovers because they looked so tailored and perfect when Danette installed them. I wondered how they would look after I washed them since I don’t own a steamer and don’t really have any plans to buy one.
I found out earlier this week, as I went up into the loft which we’re not using right now. Luckie can’t climb the steps, and she gets lonesome when we’re not around, so we’re just not going up there. Luckie, while elderly and deaf and almost 15, is our lone dog and is pretty much running things around here.
At any rate, I went up into the loft which, like most rooms that are not being used, has become a respository for stuff we are too lazy to put away. I try and keep the cats out of the room, but Sam the Cat had made a visit. Here’s the little sh*t when he was in jail and headed to the vet a few months ago.
In his defense, he may have gotten locked up there. It’s happened a time or two. However, the net-net was that Sam had peed on the slipcovered chair that was up there. I was so angry.
Here was the chair when it was brand spanking newly slipcovered. It is a brighter white than the one downstairs.
So..the very reason that I wanted slipcovers was because of the pets. It was the time when the “rubber meets the road”…the crucial moment of action. I took the slipcover off, sprayed the offending yellow stain with Oxyclean (and almost choked from the smell) and placed it in the high efficiency washer with a Tide Pod (something else I love). When the washer stopped, I took it out and hung it on the clothesline. When it was almost dry, I bought it in and attempted to iron it a little bit. This process was a little sad. I only attempted to iron the “tail” of the slipcvoer.
I took it upstairs, and I pretended like I was Danette Mayfield, the very nice lady who made the slipcover. I zipped and tucked, humming as if I knew what I was doing, and even though you can tell my ironing wasn’t a high priority, I think it looks pretty good. I like the “shabby chic” look. And…the stain and the offending smell is gone.
And I know my investment in slipcovers for existing pieces of furniture is a good one. Yay!
