The Heirloom Table

Restored and given a second life

I really love this project for the meaning that it held for my client. It didn’t require any of my creative or design skills; the client came to me with a clear idea of what she wanted and my job was to make that reality.

The door is a beautiful old solid Oak barn door that my client salvaged from her grandparent’s property. She asked me to turn it into a dining table. She decided on simple, modern, steel legs, that would not compete with the table top for attention.

This project challenged me in different way than usual. I had to find the right balance between preserving the past, and making it ready for the future. I filled cracks, crevices, and holes with epoxy so that they wouldn’t become crumb traps. I had to be extremely cautious with sanding, a pass too many and I’d wipe away age that could never be recovered. I affixed the old door hardware to the bottom of the table, this way it wouldn’t be lost, but nor would it interfere with the utility of the table.

I am very proud of this piece. It doesn’t show any of my skills as a designer or even a woodworker. But it does hold immense value to my client, and I am so happy and grateful that she entrusted me with realising her vision.