The Turquoise Altar

I grew up in a home with an altar, so it was natural for me to have an altar in my own home. I wanted a modern look to it, though, like more of a modern chapel than an old church. Changing the look of an old display cabinet was all it took. Well, for the most part.

In the beginning, there was this cabinet (below).

I liked the design, but that was about it.

The finish, for starters, was really worn. You'll see below a preview of the wood looked before and after I stripped it down.

The material was soft wood, so it wasn't very durable, but still I decided to refurbish it because 1) I like the design, 2) my mother gave it to me, and 3) I don't like throwing things away.

After stripping, repainting, and replacing the hardware, I think it turned out pretty nice.

The Valet at Play

Valets are not used much these days. Many people probably don't even know what they are anymore.

This is the story of a poor, neglected valet trapped in a bathroom between a urinal and a toilet bowl (below).

It has been in our family for years, and for years nobody knew what to do with it. I took it in because I wanted to save it. If anybody would ever have use for it, it would be my daughter.

Strip, paint, fabric upholstery, and voila! A valet built for a dainty little girl!

The Industrial Work Table

This table was made using a Narra door from my father-in-law's old office and bar stools from my sister's old pub.

Stripping the door took a lot of work, but it's always worth it in the end when you see the bare wood. Hard as that was, it was a piece of cake compared to the work stripping the metal stool entailed.

Unless you are dead serious about your project, trust me, do not strip the metal. See that gunk? That's just from one stool, and not all of it.

Yet, after all the frustrations, I love my table. It has style and history. That makes it so much more valuable.