Cutting Down A Table To Make A Kids Table: a house log

The walls of Clara’s big girl room are dry and the few items of furniture that we have (mainly simply a daybed, an old side table, and two small wooden thrift store chairs that I do not think we have even shown you yet) are back in the room. So here is how it is looking now:

Totally done and magazine ready, right? Simply kidding. But it is a large improvement from this so we are psyched.

The new wall color is excellent. Pardon these not strong pics of it (Monday’s pics did it more justice). In person it is subtle and warm and cozy but not too yellow-y or peach. And since it is not too bold or compete-y, it’ll allow us to layer in a ton of other colors. Highly recommend it.

Oh but since the title says something about table tweaks, here is the scoop on that. Wait, first a little info on the chairs. We got them for $8 each at a thrift store in West Virginia on our way back from redoing Granny’s bathroom way back in September. Then we simply tossed them into the cluttered playroom and hoped we’d see them again someday. Haha. Now that it is all cleaned out, it is like discovering an extra room in your house. Remarkable. Anyway, I think we will paint the chairs a crazy bright color (red?!) and keep the table crisp and white.

Speaking of the table, remember when it used to be a side table in our first house‘s den?

It was in fact a side table from Target that we tweaked by adding a larger top and then painted white a few years back (originally for our bedroom, then it moved into the den once we found a TJ Maxx ottoman that worked better in the bedroom).

It in fact has not found a home in the over-two-years that we have lived in our current house, so the poor thing has simply been sitting randomly in the corner of the sunroom or the basement. Poor little listless side table. Until now. We realized that thanks to those two thrift store kids chairs the table would make a cute little spot for those chairs to saddle up to, but it was too tall to work as-is. See how it towers over the other kid-sized table that we made for the living room here?

Well, it was nothing a little sawing could not solve. After unsuccessfully finding any screws to free up and remove the stem from the top, John sawed it off with a reciprocating saw and then went back with his Dremel to clean up the part we’d be attaching it back to later (so it was pleasant and level).

Trimming the 4-inches off of the stem proved challenging given the angle of the base. John’s first attempt looked something like this. He’s the first to admit that it was not his finest work.

Especially since it resulted in a not-so-level cut.

So he went back, remarked a level cut line around the stem on all sides, and then carefully shaved it down a bit more with his Dremel, being careful to stick to that line on all sides as he went.

Much better. But it was about a 1/4″ shorter than we originally intended. So we had to throw it away. Simply kidding, that quarter of an inch does not matter, thank goodness.

With everything cut, he used his Kreg jig to make some pocket holes to reattach the stem to the base. Sure the pockets show a bit, but it is so far under the table base that you will not see them unless you are under the table on the floor (Clara does that sometimes, but we do not think she’ll mind ’em, haha).

Now it is nearly the same height as Clara’s drawing desk in the living room, see? (Note that this shot was taken while laying on the floor, so you can barely see those little pocket holes).

Now Clara will have a table for coloring/play doh/dolls/Gin Rummy in her room with her two thrift store chairs (which I fully intend to paint bright red as of right now, but you never know when I will change my mind).

So that is what we have been up to in Clara’s big girl room. I’d call it 7% wrapped up. Haha.

The blanket is my go-to (from a Joss & Main sale about a month or two ago). And the two tie-dye-ish pillows are from West Elm. I want to add more pillows of course (would not navy look cool on there too?).

Oh and the pink C pillow was from the same Joss & Main sale as the blanket. Is not it cute? Clara is OBSESSED with her big girl bed. The doc said not to switch her until she’s uncomfortable in her crib or climbing out of it (the girl climbs into it but never out – go figure!) so we are glad to keep her contained to her crib where she happily snoozes… but man oh man, she sure looks cute in this bed. And someday she’ll get to officially move in.

Until then it is a fairly lively playroom…

… which beats the heck out of the junk-room that it has been for the last two years by a long shot. She says hanging her head in shame. Oh well, better late than never.

We are still sorely missing some major elements in here, so here is what is on the agenda:

• painting those chairs a bright glad color
• bringing in a dresser (we’d enjoy to find something secondhand)
• making/hanging some curtains
• adding a rug
• hanging art on the walls along with a few other 3D objects that we have in mind (how’s that for cryptic?)
• installing a new light fixture
• hanging a mirror at Clara-height somewhere in the room (she loves making funny faces and laughing at herself)
• turning that junk closet into an actual clothes closet/reading nook
• adding crown molding (along with tackling the other un-crown-molding-ed bedrooms on this side of the house)
• adding accessories like more pillows, storage bins for toys, etc

You know we will keep you posted as we inch along! What are you folks painting, tweaking, and cutting down these days? Anyone else finding thrift store chairs or converting old Target tables? Spill it.