Building a Table For My Parents (& a Mirror Frame)

My mum has been hinting that she would like an end table for a narrow spot at the end of the sofa. After all the support my parents have given us in the past 2 years, I thought building her one would be a nice thank you surprise. Also it would be a good way to try building my first drawer!

The plans are simple to match the existing Teak mid-century furniture in the space:

At the same time I started cutting wood for a new mirror frame. I got a mirror for $5 at a garage sale, but the frame is broken and a little traditional for my taste.

The new design is a variation on a sunburst mirror, with radials of alternate thickness of wood; 1/2” and 1”.

And now we know: mirror frames are an easy project to sneak into the lineup as they require minimal amounts of wood. Also the cat wants to be in every photo taken in the house.

My Wicked Workbench

My Grandfather-in-law generously gave us his workbench. He built it himself and we are pretty sure it could withstand a nuclear bomb, it is so sturdy.

It took 6 of us 2 full days to disassemble it in his basement, transported it in my parent’s car and re-assembled it in our basement. Once we had transported it over, we realized it was still too large to fit down our basement stairs and had to break it down into individual boards. It was worth it as I now have 8ft of solid workspace with handy storage below.

And now we know: we may have to sell this workbench with the house as the though of moving this again is tiring. Using a table saw is much easier (and safer) when it is not on the group and you don’t have to kneel in front of it.

Floating Shelves (or Building Stuff Without Thinking it Through)

There was this nice empty wall in the kitchen, nothing on it but a traditional plate rail and a calendar, and there was a kitchen drawer in which all the spices were jammed and one bag had spilled all over. It seemed like an easy task: build a couple of floating shelves, mount them on the wall and line up the spices in jars.

So I built 4 shelves, 2 with a depth of 3”, 2 with a depth of 6”, both with a lip along the front. They got stained a nice deep tone and we headed off to get mounting brackets, those fun little keyhole shaped metal pieces that are sold with every floating shelf out there. Apparently they are not sold separately. Anywhere. So off to Lee Valley we went to get another style of bracket…that was discontinued. Finally found some brackets, got the shelves up and they look pretty good.

At the same time I built a simple box with mitre corners to be installed above the toilet in the new bathroom. There was a lot of empty space and the room needed a place that wasn’t the sink for small items. The stain matches the vanity and it gives some warmth to the room.

And now we know: ensure the hardware you are planning to use is available before you build the item

Building an End Table

My goal is to build us a dining table. To achieve this practice is required, so after starting with the floating shelves, I thought an end table would be a good next step.

The design I came up with is simple and does not require a lot of wood to be purchased. Because it is solid wood I can practice my sanding, staining and using the table saw. The table is assembled and sanded but waiting to be stained.

And now we know: It’s a lot of fun bringing your own designs to life

Got rid of a couch!

3 couches for 2 rooms was 1 too many. We decided the blue and pick floral sleeper was the worst of the bunch, and attempted to sell it online. After a couple of months with no luck, we started trying to give it way. Luckily Kristin’s sister was moving out and was happy to acquire a couch.

We went from an ugly couch that was not so comfy and didn’t match, to a comfy sofa, whose fabric goes with the rest of the finishes. Overall it makes the room look much better. The cat has not missed a beat, she sits in the exact same spot on the new couch as she did on the old one.

And now we know: you can have too many couches, especially if one is too heavy to even move into the next room on the same level.

Making Room for the Fridge

We were supposed to spend a nice Saturday afternoon biking, but my husband was hung-over and did not get out of bed till 2. I decided to get some stuff done around the house.

I built a shelf for the bathroom above the toilet. It’s just a simple floating box with mitred corners made of a pine board. Still needs to be stained.

Then I started working on modifying the cabinet formerly above the fridge. We had moved our wine rack/portable counter thing underneath to make room for the fridge on the other side of the room.

Strategically, I started while my husband was in the shower, so that the sounds of hammering could alert him that a project was underway. After taking the bottom out, I cut 1” off the bottom of the sides and the doors. I cut a new bottom and installed it with the framing nailed. It took a couple of hours but now the fridge is back in its rightful location.

And now we know: my husband needs a week’s warning not only when he is participating in a project, but when a project is going to occur in the house. Apparently it “disrupts his habitat”

The 2nd Bedroom Gets a Bed

Oh yes…we finally have a bed in our guest bedroom! And coordinated bedding…fancy that!

Although the trundle bed did attack me while we were setting it up, cutting my shin. This is the bed from my room at my parent’s house. It is a single but has a single trundle underneath that pops up to the same height. Still to come: the curtains, the bed skirt and ideally 1 less dresser in the room.

And now we know: trundle beds have sharp corner and without the weight of the mattress, they can pop up unexpectedly. Also once you set up your guest bedroom in preparation for a guest, said guest will then cancel on you for a better offer.