oh Wood(en table) I

I have the most wonderful friends. They know what I am like, they know what I like like, and they aren't afraid to keep an eye out and send me text messages of random furniture at 5:44pm on a Thursday night, knowing that I'd be interested. Luckily it was a non-raining Thursday night when this little image popped up on my phone with the information that it was sitting at a particular intersection.

Looking for a new home...

Already being in possession of two wooden dining tables, and another cafe table that's in storage, I didn't need it for myself. However, I have a friend who was moving into a new apartment the following week (!) and needed furniture. Such coincidence! I texted her and asked if she was interesting, and coincidently she had just landed at the airport and was looking for an excuse to walk around after a long flight. I gathered up my tools, including a random fleece blanket and some tape, and headed over for some furniture disassembly fun.  Once we found the table it was short work of removing the legs.  It was a bit longer work carrying it to it's new building, but the new owner is very strong, she pretended the solid maple tabletop was a surfboard and carried it most of the way on her head.

Human table mover

After some reassembly and a small repair here is that formerly cast-off table, in a shiny new home and ready to host some tasty tasty meals.

I want to be shiny, like the treasure.....

Free table, free chair, free throw pillows, free plant centerpiece.

Happy freestyling, it takes a network!

Table of pine, from mine to thine

Pine table. 

What image does that phrase conjure up in your mind? 

Something outdoorsy like a picnic table in a forest clearing? 

Maybe something rough-hewn with a highly visible grain?

Wait wait, was it this?

Behold: Table, pine

No?  Not quite what you had in mind?

Oh well, too bad.

This is what you get when you walk through the trash area when someone is moving out in the middle of the month.  I've been around long enough to recognize that this table was from the flatpack scandi-superstore, and the interwebs tell me it retails for $69.00 new.  Despite the small gouge on the front right edge and the sticker residue on the top left this table was in good condition -- all parts present and accounted for.  One quick text message and I had a friend claim it before it made it to my apartment.  His plan was to do a little work, some sort of staining, sealing, or painting

and make it into something lovely for a covered patio area. 
But in the end it turned out to be something even simpler.

Ta da!

Wave hello to your new desk!

I
t's a very small space - the table juuuuuust fit into this little nook between the brick wall on the left and the bookshelf on the right.

 

And in case you were wondering, yes, that desk chair is also a freestyle find. 

A pretty good loading dock loot haul, in two parts, and now this guy has a comfortable spot to write papers and maybe even fill out some grad school applications..... get those personal essays ready.
 
As 2015 draws to a close I wish you all a 2016 full of deliberate living. 
Whatever form your deliberate choices take, whether it is buying less stuff, repairing and then donating what you don't need to those who do, spending more time with those you love, or volunteering your skills for causes you care about, make your day something to be proud of.

Happy freestyling in the new year!