Table Time

So the quest for more furniture continues in the Big Apple! We have been looking for a kitchen table since we moved in two months ago and we finally found one. We came upon this table at the Housing Works Thrift Store in Gramercy. It is a great organization committed to ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness.

Anyway, back to the table... as you will see, much to my delight it is a mid-century design! It was made by the H.T. Cushman furniture company in Bennington, Vermont--we are guessing in the late 60’s. After much debate, we finally decided we gotta have it. Now comes the hard part...how to get the table home?

"Why hail a cab of course!"

"Too big?"

"Nah, we’ll hail a ‘van cab’."

"Great idea!"

Ah yeah, over 45 minutes later were still trying to hail a cab!!

Eventually we scored a “SUV cab” and it actually fit in the back! Finally home, I used some fine steel wool and a little wood wax.... and now we have another before and after. I was very happy with the results!

(click to see larger view)

-Nick

Furniture Care

I would like to thank KPQ for having me as a guest contributor! I am so happy to be part of a great blog like Finch. I’ll be blogging about my (and KT's) new apartment in NYC and I hope our findings will provide you with enjoyment and help you with your spaces as well!

Since this apartment is much bigger than our last (whoop!), we have been on the look out for new furniture. I am personally really into mid-century design. And it just so happens, I am lucky enough to have parents with great eyes for design and purchased this coffee table years ago. Then they were kind enough to hand it down to me:

I love this piece. It is about 5 feet long and 16 inches wide. Not exactly sure what we are going to use it for yet. Books? A TV stand? Do you have any ideas?

Before all that, this piece needs a bit of work. Enter: The Brick House. KPQ directed us towards this site for another apartment related reason and I am addicted! This particular link discusses the process of refreshing vintage wood. I followed their directions and will recap my experience below:


So I bought all the supplies:

Murphy's Oil Soap
Teak Oil
Howard Feed-n-Wax
Fine Sand Paper
Super Fine Steel Wool
Rags

First Step: I sanded the troubled areas (scratches, watermarks, etc.)

Second Step: I sprayed the surface with Murphy's Oil Soap and wiped it down. This is to clean up the dust and dirt from the sanding. Also using a small hand held vacuum (ours is called "The Shark") proved very helpful in getting all the excess dust up!

Third Step: With the use of a lint-free rag, I started rubbing the Teak Oil onto the surface. The minute I started rubbing in the Teak Oil it started looking great. I waited 10 minutes or so before putting a 2nd coat on. The wood drank 3 coats of the oil before some of the oil stayed on the surface and wasn't absorbed in (my clue that it was done). Now only one more step to go!

Forth and Final Step: I used the "Supa Fiiiiine" Steel wool to apply the Feed-n-Wax. I wasn't afraid to use a lot. Any of the wax that does not take can be wiped off later. I let the wax sit for 10 minutes and then wiped off the excess. All Done!

Here is the comparison (click to enlarge):

Verdict: I was really hoping for a "WOW" moment when I was done and I was disappointed. I think my expectations were too high. I also think I might have sanded the trouble areas a little too much because they stand out next to the non-sanded areas. Does it look better after? YES. Does it still have water marks and other wear and tear and I was hoping to get rid of? YES! I think the only way to make this piece look new would be to really sand the top and basically remove the top layer of wood! Which in a NYC apartment is tough! All in all a good learning experience and now it will last longer and be less susceptible to other forms of punishment. Hope you all enjoyed my first post. I know I did!

-Nick