One Table + Reclaimed Wood = Inspired Multi-Purpose Makeover

I wanted to do a makeover around the concept of a simple table.  I like the idea of having a table in the house that you can just pick up and use in new ways or in different places when you feel like it.  I had a few things that were definite in my mind - make the table from reclaimed barn wood and have it be used in three different ways (maybe more).

I liked the idea that the table could be used anywhere.  So when I got to the location to shoot the table - I wanted to be able to capture its flexibility and style in different ways.

A few weeks before, I had sketched out a rough idea of the concept of the table and emailed it to my carpenter friend and asked him to be creative with the concept. I'm good at coming up with the vision and he has the talent to bring it to fruition through his carpentry skills. I said, "rustic and easy to move" which is what I wanted.  That's what I got. I also love that the wood came from an old barn that had fallen down during an early winter storm at a farm of a mutual friend.  I would imagine the faded structure was about 100 years old - which brings a sense of history to the table.

With the table in hand, I headed to the makeover site.

So I began the first set up of the makeover with an area of a kitchen space that was open and not really used for anything.  I wanted to show that you could take this rustic table and showcase it easily as a breakfast island off the main kitchen area.

I brought in the sawhorse "base" legs made from the reclaimed wood.  Then, a few barn paintings from my art line of barns I shot across America to add to the look and feel.  I also brought along some wallpaper that has the look of rustic barn boards.  I love this stuff. It is from York Wallcoverings and looks like distressed barn wood.  They come in various styles and colors.  I wanted to use the wallpaper only on certain areas - not the entire room.  Just to add wood accents in the spaces.

Sawhorse legs.  Full of character and rustic beauty.  The height shown above is made to standard table height once a top is put on it.

In this image you see - the "extender" that can be placed on top of the sawhorse base to raise up the table top to counter top height.

Here you can see how the rustic plank table top is placed right on top of the extender and the sawhorse base.  I can see this working as a gathering place for breakfast or a quick cup of coffee.  Originally the idea came from holiday time - the ability to give yourself an added prep space (an instant island) in the kitchen when preparing a holiday feast or creating a buffet.  I would definitely do that.

Oh, and the posing dog that wandered into my shot for this set up is my dog that came on location with me.  As a puppy, he was in a photo shoot with me several years back.  I guess he remembers what to do in front of the camera even now!

I had also brought along these great industrial metal stools from Overstock.com that I had come across.  A set of 2 was very reasonably priced. I love them.  I have the same ones in my design studio.  I like how you can have a rustic piece like the table but the stools give it a sleek, loft-like feel instantly.  Just a couple of stools you can use anywhere!

Then came the time to bring in the home accessories to make the room come to life with the "layers of life" details that I Love. K by Keaton is a home collection sold at Bed Bath and Beyond.  

The tabletop collection is called "The Eat Collection." If you saw my post last week - you saw my interview with actress Diane Keaton.  Well, this is her new home collection.  

She shares my idea that meal time is a time to gather and share some quality family time.  That is exactly what these pieces did for this shoot.  They are not fancy or over the top - they are perfect family pieces inspired by classic design and Americana. They make you want to gather and enjoy a meal together. 

The mugs are big.  Perfect for that steaming morning coffee.   There is also something about the feel of the ceramic they are made from.  Just good all around.  Also, lots of big bowls in this collection too.  I'm all about big salads for lunch or home-made soups in big, simple bowls.  

I have since gone out and bought this collection for my own home.  It's now my everyday dish ware for my own family.

The faux barn wood wallpaper is something that I loved when I saw it in person.  I can see this working in areas where you want to add some visual interest.  It could be behind your headboard in your bedroom, one wall of your family room or in a hallway.  Wallpaper is also not like it used to be - it is something that can be removed easily and is not as difficult as it once had been.  So wallpaper is something to give some consideration to when you want some color and, in this case, some texture.

You could even use panels in certain areas and creatively tack them into place instead of adhering them to the wall.  A great way to add color and texture but allowing you more freedom to change it up.  Also, just realized how great that idea could be in a rental apartment or house where you cannot make permanent changes.  Maybe you might spruce up your office cubicle at work too?  Check out YorkWall.com

  

Love this serving tray made from reclaimed wood by K by Keaton simply placed on top of the metal stool from Overstock.com to create a quick side table. 

Here, same metal stool with a different reclaimed barn wood tray from K by Keaton.  I like how these trays can also be used up on the wall as a room's wall decor - but I could also see them working great on changing up the look of your bedside tables or small side tables - giving the existing top to your table a new look.  What about using the metal stools from Overstock.com as side tables?  

As I have said many times, the American landscape and barns have long-inspired me.  So my Canvas Art Collection has many classic barns featured in it.  Above, you see one that brings the whole theme of this project to life.

Great, classic style from this stool Overstock.com

The stools and the chairs (shown further down)are stackable.  So they are easy to store and use.  It's funny - because I had heard about Overstock.com but had not checked them out.    I was amazed by their home furnishing options once I started exploring their website. When I found these seating options - I was sold. Check them out!

The wall covering...There are different versions of the faux barn wood available.  Also worth checking out.  

You can see here how the tabletop surface is literally made from barn boards.  You can also see the serving tray with it's barn wood and black stripes.  Great details.  I also like how Diane's tableware - features graphic black text...like this one above.

Just a simple place to gather, but then just pick it up and move it or store it away - when you want. As you know, I like to change things up - so this table allows that to happen on a whim.

Here you see the basic sawhorse design and that great distressed barn color - which is from the actual barn (I did not paint them!).

Now, same space - but this time showing how that table can be set for a lunch or dinner by lowering the height.  Overstock.com had these amazing industrial metal chairs in this vibrant barn red. I'm a big fan of French metal chairs and I liked these because of the arms.  Plus, a set of four is so reasonable you could use them anywhere.

To show how I like to change things up easily - you can see the same style of chair also from Overstock.com - but this time in a silver metal finish which I personally love with the rustic wood tones. You would think that metal chairs would be uncomfortable - but they are fine.

To set the table for the new set up, I brought along a large piece of driftwood found at the beach one summer with my family to serve as the base for the centerpiece.

The stage is set.  Just says "come hang for awhile and enjoy."

Diane Keaton's collection of tableware is a pale cream color (there are other colors available) with the black text and a stitched, black border.  Reminds me of something you would see in an old diner from the 50s.

I also liked these square plates that you could use for an appetizer plate or, as in this case, as a base for my centerpiece display on the driftwood slab.  Add some apples in a row and you have an instant centerpiece/conversation starter.

Instead of setting the table formally, I used Mason Jars to causally gather the silverware.  A serve yourself approach.

Just eat.  That's what it's all about. Gather and enjoy.

Again, the red chairs - just showing you that you can have options and change it up.

So as I was finished shooting this room - I was about to take the table out to another part of this house location - but then I had a thought...

Taking the barn wood tabletop, but this time I used the two metal stools as the base to support it.  Now you have a whole new look to an eating area with the gathered metal chairs around it.  Add a lamp and your laptop - a creative gathering area or work area? Brainstorm central? Homework station? Have fun with it.

It's the same room but I just changed the positioning of the table and seating as well.  I'm always saying that moving things around in a space gives you freedom to see the whole room in a new way.  Just move things around and see.

For this set up - I took the table and raised it up on the sawhorse legs in an alcove in this location's mud room.  A home office central created in an unused corner.  Same table simply picked up and moved. Same stool. Serving tray with office supplies held in some of the K by Keaton tableware.  Same lamp as before. My artwork. An oversized chalkboard leaning on the tabletop.  A whole wall of York's barn wood wallpaper to add some depth and texture. A creative nook for any homeowner to enjoy everyday.

The metal stool from Overstock.com works great here too...

I love chalkboards.  Great for family message boards or as Diane talked about in my conversation with her - visual collages of things you love gathered in one area.  Try it - gather things that inspire, make you laugh, make you want to be a better person, design your dream house or remind you of all the good things and people in your life. Seeing is believing.

I love to cook and entertain.  I also like changing furniture around a lot.  So the idea of being able to take this table and create a dinner or entertaining location somewhere else in a house was fun for me.  The idea that you could move the table into your living room in front of the fire, outside on the lawn in summer or in some creative place - can make a simple supper have a whole new meaning.

So in this room - I took the table and chairs and moved them by a roaring fire in their family room.  Imagine wine and cheese on a cold Saturday afternoon during a winter storm.

I love that the metal chairs work great in this space too.  If I had used wooden chairs in this red room - it would have made the whole thing feel "more country style."  However, with the metal - you get a more updated look.  

Chalkboard over the mantle - with life reminders.

These plates are fun.  When you go to a party or event - sometimes the best part are the appetizers or finger foods that you never really do at home.  These plates make me want to make up some finger foods and enjoy a good glass of wine by the fire.

So in my traveling around this house location with my rustic table - I headed up to the master bedroom to turn the table into something else...

Taking the sawhorse legs and laying them on their sides allows me to create a new base for the same top to become a coffee table in this master bedroom sitting area.

It gives the table a new, practical purpose.

The homeowner's sofa gets an instant makeover with Diane's "Dream Collection" of bedding and accessories.

Simple touches unify the look with the new accessories...a small black side table gets spray-painted black, the same metal lamp gets repurposed on the table, the serving tray now holds books, some black framed artwork finishes it all off...

The sleeping area and its roaring fire - just invites you to escape for awhile.

This time I took the wallcovering and simply covered the wall above the fireplace with the barn wood covering.  This time I ran the paper "across" instead of up and down to give it a plank look. The serving trays come into play here as well - for a usable bed-top surface and also as an instant bedside table when added to the top of the small black table.  It's all about using things in creative ways.

The K by Keaton bedding collection comes in a variety of options.  I like this one because of its simplicity.  The black accents with the graphic text and stitching effect works for me.

At the end of the day, with changing light outside, the moods of the rooms I was shooting changed for the better.  I ended up shooting so many images because I was inspired and captivated by how design can transport you.  It can be simple and easy to change up - but it can make you feel good, uplift you or it can invite you in. All of the simple elements shown in these images did just that.  They do invite in to DREAM, EAT, live, laugh and make your home be the best it can be.

I enjoyed this creative journey of how a simple table with a history to it - from that old barn that saw many years of New England life - now had a place in this home with a new life.

But, at the same time, I love how Diane's collections are inspired by those same kind of places - those old barns - the simple way of life that can be found around the good old USA.  This was very much what was in my mind as I shot those barns, vintage pick up trucks, American flags or open fields across America in my art collection.  Design does not have to be fancy.  Rooms and things we surround ourselves with do not have to be over the top or perfect.  Simple is good.  It's how you live your life in those spaces that matters.

If anything, that old table serves as a touchstone to a history or maybe it's holding one of those big coffee mugs inspired from Americana (maybe an old diner on Route 66 in the old days) as we start our day - that can maybe remind us of where we came from, where we are at now and where we want to go.

Make your home the touchstone of your life.  Create it - simply.