Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we’ve only been here just over a month. It seems like we’ve been here much, much longer. Everyday seems brings it’s own adventures, whether it’s a walk to the bakery for a treat, a quick trip to the library or working on a new project around the house.
Keeping with the goal of having the entire interior of the house finished before the next gardening season hits {April 30th} I think we’re moving at a pretty good pace. In just a short amount of time we’ve unpacked all our boxes, sold or donated furniture pieces we thought we’d be able to use but found we couldn’t, done all the grown up things like gotten licences, car tabs and we’ve even updated 2 bathrooms.
The first few weeks here were exhausting, but now, I’m waking up every morning EXCITED to get going on another project. Yesterday, we made a set of hairpin tables for the family room.
The house we bought is nearly 100 years old, and it has radiators. Which, as I’ve mentioned before has been a bit of a design challenge when it comes to window treatments and furniture placement. We both really like the radiators, and think they look cool, it’s just with a small home they can be sort of a space hog in certain rooms.
I think the easy solution would have been to shell out big bucks for professionally made radiator covers that could have doubled as additional seating areas and call it a day. But we also felt like the radiator covers would box the room in more and make the space seem smaller.
Plus at this stage in our lives, it’s not like we have hoards of teenagers coming over or large parties anymore, so we decided to go the inexpensive and simple route and make a set of radiator tables for the family room that could serve not as additional seating, but more as place to set a few plants or a book or even a little ledge for Lucy to look out the window.
The whole project from start to finish, took about 3 hours. {And most of that was the drying time for the stain}.
Supplies We Used
- 1 Set of 4 Hairpin Legs {we used the 22″ length}
- Pine {or any other type of wood} board cut to the desired length
- Screws
- Screwdriver or drill
- Sander to sand down the sides of the board nice and smooth
- Stain {we used Varathane One-Step Wood Stain & Polyurethane, Mission Oak} 3 coats!
- Clean old sock to apply the stain
The directions are pretty straightforward.
- Cut board to desired length
- Line up legs and screw into the underside of the wood
- Sand the sides of the board, wipe clean and stain the wood in a well ventilated area. Let dry and move table into position
I love how the table turned out and I think it will be the perfect spot to display a few orchids this winter. That is, if I can get the HH to pack up his leg lamp as soon as the holidays are over. 😉
Light and bright, that’s the look I’m going for in this house, and I think we’re off to a good start.
Wishing you all the best on this beautiful fall day.
~Mavis
Kim says
What a brilliant and attractive idea!!!! I spy one of your new chairs. NICE!! Can’t wait to see the room when it is finished.
Emma says
I love this!! Turned out amazing. you know this would cost $$$ if you bought it from a store.
Mama Cook says
So, is this a silly question? Is placing furniture or curtains around a radiator a fire hazard? Are you actually using the radiators for heat? I guess I’m not exactly sure how they work…I’m thinking of the hazards of baseboard heat.
I do love the table!!!! Beautiful job!!!!
dj_1973 says
Radiators like these are indirect heat sources – they are filled with water, which is pumped in from the boiler to radiate the heat out to the room. The water is not hot enough to create a fire hazard. However, if you had blowers or propane or electric heat, or some other sort of direct heat source, you would not want to do this.
My only concern would be for the plants on the tables – they might dry out quickly (so water often) and might not appreciate temperature fluctuations. But they can be moved easily enough if they start showing signs of distress.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes to this!
Jamie says
That looks amazing. Great idea to build a piece that fits right where you need it!
Connie says
Looks very nice. Love your new home. Nice and bright. Your last home had so much wood and was dark. Would have been depressing to me.
Carrie says
Miss Lemon is looking wonderful with all her fruit! I’ve had a Meyer Lemon for 5 years and it is still not that tall. le sigh..
Mavis Butterfield says
We are down to 18 (we hadd 22 but lost 4 in the move).
Tracey says
So simple and perfect! They look great. The room is so bright and sunny, and these are just the right piece. I love your concept of finishing a whole room before moving on. I’m very much a fly by the seat of my pants kind of person, but since following you, I’m working very hard to focus and finish. Thank you! I think it’s awesome that you’re already feeling like your new place is “home”.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
Radiators are so quaint looking. I don’t think they look unattractive at all. I would not want to hide them, either. Good work.
Les Godwin says
A suggestion for your hairpin radiator tables. Where you’re located has without a doubt an old scrap/antique lumber store or at least one nearby. If you can locate old Heart Pine or another old, lumber yard sawed board 2×6 or 2×10’s and cut to length they will hold up a lot longer, have serious heft in their weight and so much more character than their Big Box Stepbrothers. The difference will be night and day. You’d also likely not have to stain since they’ll be aged appropriately. Just a suggestion, such a nice old house, staying in that time frame would be awesome. An example of what type of store I’m referring is at this link: http://www.portlandsalvage.com/woodwall
Good luck and sincerely thank you for your blog. I enjoy it every day.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks for the reminder Lee, I love that place and need an old piece of weathered wood for a piece of art I want to make. I know I’ll be able to find it there.
Rita says
Funny ha ha — a custom made table for his leg lamp!!! 😉
Love it. Such a bright room; you last home did seem dark.
Julie says
Love this! I have repurposed old bookshelves to make wall shelves and other items. I’m thankful I don’t have radiators, but if I did I would probably want a table like this. Do you think it could start bowing over time? The pics make it look long. I’d worry about putting too many heavy things on it.
Margery says
Love it growing up we used to place our towels on the radiator in the bathroom to warm and also pj’s and the next day clothes on the ones in our room. And let’s not forget the snow covered coats and mittens in the foyer.
Noel says
How will the heat from rads affect finish of the table over time? Do you have some kind of deflectors Indra the tables?
Noel says
The word is under. Sorry about that.
KCB says
Your tables look great. I really like the blue/white chair. I have a radiator question. Will you use them? Is there another source of heat?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, we are using the radiators. They are our only heat source (other than the fireplace).
Tammy says
When I was little, we lived in a house with radiators. There was one, that was the perfect height for me to sit on. I sat directly on it. Adults who tried the same quickly got up. Haha
Great table! It gave me an idea, now I want to make one for plants in my dining room.