alamodeus

Luggage rack before.

I came across one very dowdy luggage rack on one of my consignment store jaunts and saw a glimmer of potential.

This wooden stand was a homely waif in serious need of a makeover, and I thought it might make a good base for my paint palette and art supplies.

I let it sit in my studio for several months, giving a lot of thought to its highest and best use before finalizing a plan for its metamorphosis.

I wanted a portable table I could use for outdoor photography as well as painting. Oh yeah, I also might want to take it over to our olive grove to serve drinks and snacks al fresco when friends gather there for harvest. Why didn't I see it before? What I wanted was a butler's table.

Darling hubby, who is quite the craftsman, listened to my parade of requirements and built a fabulous table top that is both elegant and rustic. There were no nails used to construct this masterpiece, and he sanded it in such a way that it looks like rough hewn wood planks planed by hand. I'm again impressed with his skills!





I scuffed the wood with a few well-placed knicks and dents, added a sufficient number of 'worm holes' created with an ice pick and picked up a can of mahogony stain to darken both the luggage rack bottom and table top wood to match. I finished the project with a charcoal glaze (painted on, then, wiped off) to give some character to the new piece.

I did keep the original web straps. They have that charming, antique patina that is so endearing.


After the upcycling project, we have a new butler's table.


The transformation is just what I envisioned! I love having a partner who is a willing participant (most of the time) as part of our design/build team. And, now we can both enjoy our custom butler's table.

Now, if we just had a butler to buttle for us!