Sunday, January 23, 2011

flea market finds. slightly illegal edition.

so this isn't a new flea market find, it's not even technically a 'flea market' find.
it's a stolen from hard rubbish find. why let something go to landfill when you can find a use for it yourself?



i picked up this large and lovely specimen last year just before the last hard rubbish pickup.
i love it because it's so solid and heavy, unlike most of my other ikea furniture...
anywho, the reason i'm talking about my table today is that it's in pretty bad nick. i'm almost certain that before it got turfed onto the nature strip, it was an outdoor table, used by someone's grandkids as a painting palette.
while i'm sure it served it's purpose quite well as a palette/footrest/pot stand/whatever else, it's time for it to serve it's purpose as my beautiful coffee table.
today is renovation day!
i've got my reno clothes on, my hair tied back and my protective eye wear on (sunglasses).

after 30 minutes of sanding with my* orbital sander, this is how far i've gotten. could be a very long afternoon...



while i'm slaving away, sanding away years of glass rings and acrylic paint mixes, you should do two things:
1) visit the home of flea market finds. sophie is having a giveaway today too, so you should join in!
2) bid on my flood relief auction. you could win an amazing handmade crochet blanket, designed by you! it also ENDS TODAY! get on it!


* technically, it's my dad's sander. having actually used it more than he has, i'm claiming it as my own.

10 comments:

moose and bird said...

Looking forward to seeing it finished. Taking something pre-loved and making it new again is so rewarding. x

Anonymous said...

Hard work, but I'm sure it's going to look great. I love replacing my 'newer' stuff with vintage things.

Anonymous said...

good for you for recyling someone's trash! i'm sure it'll end up being a treasure! thank goodness for power tools lol!!

Unknown said...

Ooo well done, look forward to seeing the end result. There is a project called 'Project Restyle' with a flickr group that perhaps u could post a before and after pic on? http://www.flickr.com/groups/1567172@N20/

Cherie said...

OOoooo well done, good on you, LOVE it, these kind of things are the very best. The feeling of accomplishment is hard to describe. Love to see the finished gem ;-)

CurlyPops said...

Does your dad have a belt sander? Might make it a bit easier.
Are your hands still vibrating after all that sanding?

nadine paduart said...

it'll be soooooo worth it though. do post the end result, won't you? it put me right in the mood to do a bit of sanding myself. now on to a find! ;)

sue said...

Hard yakka but it will be worth it - persevere and don't forget to show us the end result huh?
Possession is nine-tenths of the law so technically the sander is probably yours by now!

RobynLouise said...

Another follower here waiting to see the end result! Do yourself a favour and buy a proper pair of goggles for this and a dust mask. Even a cheapo mask from the chemist is better than nothing or sew yourself a surgeon-type mask. Your eyes and lungs will thank you, mine did!

Alyssa said...

Looks like it has potential for sure! Best get out the elbow grease, no? ;) Can't wait to see your results!