Antique Sewing Machine Revival

Table compete, just waiting for chairs

A friend had an antique sewing machine in a lovely oak cabinet she was looking to dispose of, unless I had any ideas for another use for it.  My friend had been using it as a side table, mostly as an interesting conversation piece.

I named a half dozen things she could do with it within a couple of minutes and she was intrigued with the idea that it could be made into a dining room table, since she was considering leaving her current dining table and chairs when she sold the house. 

I explained that the ornate iron frame can be separated from the decorative oak box and sewing machine.  She was hoping to have a round glass table top cut to fit the iron base.  Knowing that the standard height for a dining table was 30” and the frame was only about 28”; an extension would need to be built or casters could be added to the legs for the additional height.  Who could do this, she wondered, well, “the engineer” of course.

We collected the heavy— very heavy and awkward sewing cabinet and brought it to the “workshop”.  The engineer was delighted with the new puzzle.  Thinking we had found all the screws, we’d be surprised to have to search yet again for the reason the box would not separate from the frame.  

Finally, with the two pieces separated, we went into discussions about how to build the frame.  My very handy husband, wanted to buy new wood, but being a practical sort of person, I wanted to use what we had, in scrap, it would only be painted anyway.  Oddly enough my husband had just cut up the pallet on which, the ceiling wood (Office Remodel Phase 1) had been delivered, and put into the trash.  Ugh!  I had suspected that part of the frame of the pallet was made of a very good hard wood; a friend thought it might be maple and I think he was right.  I thought about all the different types of maple and think it is most likely,“ribbon maple”.  A beautiful wood.  There was only a very little of it having been used as the ribs of the pallet, but as luck would have it, just enough to make a beautiful frame for the iron legs and extension for the table top.

Painting complete, including a little gold leaf on the lettering at the base identifying the machine; all that was left was a round glass table top, my friend was delighted with the outcome.

A little gold leaf

The beautiful oak box was mine to do as I wished.  I decided I did want to add it to the office as a permanent place for my light table.  Now, however it has no legs!  My dear friend and fellow designer Dawn, in Virginia suggested hanging it on the wall.  I had thought of that, but there was a window where it needed to go, not a solid wall.  Again, luck was on my side, it was just wide enough to clear the window and be fastened to the wall.

Nice fit!

The engineer was able to find some iron brackets to hold the weight of the oak box and cast iron sewing machine inside.  In addition he used a piece of left over walnut to strengthen the bracket and support the box.

Two antique sewing cabinets in use.

The Antique Sewing Machine has served many masters, since it was built at the turn of the twentieth century, and now in the twenty first century, retirement is still in the future for this well built piece of history.  It is perfect for my light table and the placement is ideal.

Design and Function—The Beauty Within

Not everyone will agree on what beauty is, but it is one’s perception that counts; however function is a bit more concrete.  As a designer and decorator, I strive for both, it is in my DNA.  I know that not nearly as many people will find a storage shed a thing of beauty as will find a pretty fabric or the lines of a lovely chair; but to me, the shed illustrated here is a thing of beauty.

I do a great many painting and refinishing projects that add to the aesthetic quality of my life and the lives of my clients; so having a place to work on these projects is particularly important to me.  I wholeheartedly subscribe to the designer mantra that form follows function.

I purchased an eight-by-ten foot shed last fall, and my handy husband spent a couple of weekends getting it set up; first he built a frame for the foundation so the shed to sit level on the back patio that was sloping for drainage.  Suffice to say that he built the shed and foundation with his usual precision.  There are still some additions to install, such as lighting and a box fan for exhausting paint spray and fumes.

Fitting the interior with a tall, wire-frame shelving unit was key to storing the many cans of paint and other necessary supplies.  I thought it would be a good idea to wrap the wire-frame shelves with an insulation blanket meant for a water heater.  My hope it to help preserve the paint, which degrades in extreme temperatures— since the shed is not as well insulated as the garage.  Investment:  Insulation, $22, shelving unit was a donation from my daughter, $0. 

I bought a set of adjustable saw horses to hold a discarded, standard interior door; this serves as my work table. Investment:  Saw-Horses, $59, Interior Door, $0, Lighting, $140 and the Box Fan, $25.  The shed was certainly the most expensive, but I did get it on sale.  I do not remember what the pressure treated wood and flashing cost, but probably somewhere around $100+/-, and the labor was based on pure love which is priceless.

Without the lighting or the fan installed yet, the room has been a valuable addition.   My husband was the first to use it.  I insisted that he spray paint some auto parts for the restoration of our 1930 Model A, which has not seen any attention in 50 years!  Next up was the painting of a cabinet my daughter uses to conceal the litter box in a bathroom.  The shed, which we have nick named "The Dexter Room", has been deemed a great asset and in my mind, a thing of beauty. 

A word about the decision to purchase a pre-made shed; we looked into many less expensive options of which there are many.  First, was the least expensive, was inspired by the popular TV series Dexter but, involved assembly and take down after each use.  PVC pipe fitted to make a frame, and heavy sheet plastic sheeting attached to the PVC constituted the “room”, and would cost about $50.  I liked that, but from a realistic stand point, I didn’t think I could do the assembly by myself, and weather might be an issue.  The next idea was a simple pop-up tent, a bit more expensive, and certainly easy enough for me to assemble; but it would limit the size of the projects.  The ability to use the Dexter Room shed in just about any weather for large and small projects drove the decision to acquirea more formidable structure.  My daughter and I have plans to spray paint some custom doors for the newly installed cabinets in her laundry room; a couple of the doors are quite tall and require a fairly large area to work on them and allow a place for them to dry without interference.

From the outside, the shed is a pleasant enough looking piece, with a cottage look, but the interior is pure function.

Repurposing—Again!

Necessity is the mother of invention, it has been said; and to me, a truism.  No sooner had I sold my old sewing machine cabinet to a friend—a cabinet that we had re-purposed more than four decades ago, as a place for the Hi-Fi turntable—, yes, that long ago— I found a need for it as it had been intended for: a sewing machine cabinet!  For many years since we first used it as a place for the turntable, we used it as a small entry table.  It served at Christmas time a fine place to set a tall Santa looking upwards towards stars I hung from the ceiling.  The rest of the year, however,it was just a small table to the side of the door, with no real purpose; so selling it was the logical thing to do.

Now I find myself in need of a convenient place to do some mending in my office.  I have 36 inches between my storage unit and a wall, and thought that would be a perfect place for the table.  I began going through the spare room, where all the extra furniture resides at this time; I soon remembered I had the sewing table!

I began my quest at a familiar antiques store and found an old- fashioned, wrought iron base with a marble top.  “Perfect,”I thought.  I inquired about the price, and the owner said she would get back to me.  Unfortunately, while the price she quoted was acceptable, I could not get back to her and the shop would not hold it for me.  I found myself back to square one.

What I had liked about that particular table was that it had a flat surface on which I could set my mending machine; now the search was on.  I found that many antique sewing tables still had the old machines intact.  I really did not want the machine; I, perhaps foolishly, had gotten rid of the one that came with my cabinet all those year ago, so the thought of having another one to discard did not sit well with me.  My searches took me to Craig’s List and a fairly near-by community where I found what appeared to be a suitable cabinet—with machine, ugh.  I went to see the piece and after talking with the owner, we came to an agreeable price.  We loaded it into my car and off I drove.

The cabinet top was in fairly poor condition; but I knew my husband could remove it, and I had planned to get a stone cut to fit it.  In the mean time, however, my husband cut a piece of cabinet grade plywood, sanded the edges and set it on top.  When I saw the new top, I decided to give it a coat of stain, just for the time being.  

Well, as luck would have it, the stain was a perfect match to the existing cabinet drawers and frame of the old top; so the thing was settled; it would so remain.

My next conundrum was what to do with the sewing machine.  Appreciating all the beautiful detail in painting and metal scrolling that was engraved on the face of the machine,  I was averse to just tossing it into the landfill.  I pondered the problem for a short time.  I decided to use it as decor and a “nod” to its glorious past.  I found a shelf and bought a couple of matching, iron brackets that appeared to be similar to the iron work on the base.  

My husband fixed the brackets to the wall and we set the shelf on top and then the old machine upon the shelf.  Now it sits in its place of pride, not in the way of anything, but a pretty reminder of the past.  I learned to sew on a treadle machine, not too unlike this one, so it brings back fond memories to me as I sit at my desk and work.  While the space of 36” is small, the iron frame has tiny wheels, and I can easily slide the machine out for work that requires a bit more space.

So the hasty selling of my old cabinet turned out to be a good thing, as my friend has a place for her computer monitor, and I have a given an old machine a place to shine and be saved it from the landfill.

When In Doubt, Paint It

I have several pieces of furniture that no longer fit my home, and I figured they were likely in need of an update when they didn’t sell on Craigslist or during a yard sale.  I decided to give them a coat of paint to see if that would make them more interesting.  The first two pieces I have finished, the rest are in a holding pattern waiting their turn at my brush.

In addition, there was a jewelry box that was given to my daughter by her brother after he spent time in Japan.  He did not purchase it overseas, but it reminded him of his time there and thought she would enjoy it.  My daughter has caught the decorating bug for me and wanted to incorporate the box somehow into her eclectic, Spanish— style home.  Many of my followers are familiar with my mantra, “If you don’t like it, paint it”.  So with that in mind, I decided to make a drastic change in the box.

This project will no doubt offend some, while others are happy to know that something can change so drastically with only a can of chalk paint, brush and some clear and dark wax.  I proceeded to paint the piece, hardware and all with a soft Paris Gray.  It was not all that great looking after the paint went on, so my interest lagged a bit.  I wondered if I had made a mistake.  The first coat of clear wax, did little to assuage my concerns; but with a coat of dark wax applied, I could see the possibility of it fitting into my daughter’s Spanish cottage.  Once I had buffed the final coat of wax, I called my daughter over to see if the change; to say she was shocked would be an understatement.  After a month of careful purging in nearly every room of her house, I knew the box would have to be useful to find a home in her home.  It did!  The main bathroom has a cabinet that will hold this large box, and it now contains contact lenses— all lined up on the left and right side of one of the little drawers; it is easy to tell which to pick up, even without glasses.  The rest of the little drawers are suitable for tweezers and other little things that can get lost in a larger drawer.  The gentleman of the house seems quite pleased with this new addition and all its possibilities.

Another piece, I worked on is similar to a piece I did for a client last year, a two-tiered end table from another generation.  I had used it as a side table next to my bed; it held all of the necessities: the land phone, my glasses, pad and pen, and a ton of books, along with the bedside lamp.  It suited me and the room well, but I just don’t have the room for it in this house, so now it is painted in the same soft Paris Gray, but I used a bronze glaze on the top to give it some depth.  The glaze is easier on my hands.

I find this kind of work not only rewarding, but fun, I simply plug in my headset and listen to the latest book downloaded from the Library and go to work, hopefully giving new life to something old and tired.

The Card Table of the Past

There are times when having a spare table comes in handy.  How many times have you wished you had such a table and resorted to the reliable card table?  Not that card tables are a bad thing— heaven knows many a party has been saved by them.  Owned or borrowed, they are handy to have and easy to store.

However, have you ever wondered what folks did a couple of generations ago?  Those thrifty colonials and Europeans had such a solution when an impromptu table was needed, and the table did not have its legs folding into the top and side for storage under the bed; they had console tables that doubled as game tables and tea tables and whatever kind of table they needed.  These console tables had a flip top, and the top swiveled around to support the extension; like magic there was a game table for a quick lesson in cards or chess, or a table for additional treats at tea time.  When not in use, the table would stand in the entry or against a wall with a few pictures or a vase of flowers in it, paying no attention at all to its surroundings; it was just ready whenever needed.

I came across quite a nice selection of such tables this past weekend at an estate sale. The company sponsoring the sale had a bit of overstock on baby grand pianos, tall secretaries and console/game tables.  On the last day of the sale, I arrived in time for them to announce everything was 75% off.  As I wandered through the nearly empty warehouse, I was surprised to see so many of these tables still left and now at true bargain prices; they were well priced on the first day; but on the last, they were a steal.  I am guessing that people did not know about them or their value.  These tables were quite popular in the Victorian times, and their popularity lived on for more than a hundred years.  The furniture came in every style that was manufactured.  I have often thought of them as the card table of the past.  They do not flatten down and slide under a bed, like our modern day card tables, but they are infinitely more attractive and have many uses.

I was saved from buying one or two of them and painting them, because I am in such a state of chaos having just downsized.  And, I have a large refinishing job looming ahead of me this month just as soon as I can clear a spot in the garage to get to it.  I was certainly tempted though, and even made another trip into the warehouse to take another look.  

Several of the tables would have been better off painted rather than refinished, since refinishing them would leave them looking like they belonged in a great grandmother’s parlor, but painting lends a whole new meaning and life to such a table.  No longer, great granny’s old stuff, now it can be a fun, colorful table for a kids room and a great play space for them to do crafts and even enjoy a little tea party.  You can get very creative and paint whimsical patterns or simply a checkerboard in a fun color for the family room.  It is a great table with many uses; if you come across one, you should consider it.

Refinishing with Stain

My current project is another round oak table.  My clients were impressed with the painted oak table that I did several months ago and talked with me about changing their oak table.  This family’s style is not country, but the eat in kitchen table was pure country, and completely incongruent with the style of the rest of the house.  The table’s condition was another source of frustration: its stained top was chipping, and there were bare spots, and bubbles left the surface anything but smooth.  We had talked over the years about what to do with the table, and replacing it was considered;  but the table had sentimental value, since it had been the table my client had grown up with from childhood, and she wanted to hang onto it for that reason. 

While the clients both liked the painted oak table, that was the inspiration for their table; we discussed the durability of a painted surface verses a stained surface. Staining was the most practical application for the heavy use this table receives on a daily basis.  A family of five can dish out a lot of wear and tear.  These clients’ have different circumstances from the client with the with the painted oak table, so staining was the right option.  

A stained oak table is what they had, again way too country for this modern family.  Since the black painted table was the inspiration for changing their country oak to something more modern, we talked about staining the table black or ebony.  Oak, stained or painted black gives it a decidedly more modern look.  

I checked out the stains offered and bought a name brand I have used for years in an ebony color.  Once I stripped, sanded, and washed the table, it was ready for the ebony stain.  Fortunately, I stained the leaf first.  The stain went on black and solid, but once the requisite time passed, when I wiped off the excess stain, I was disappointed to see the color was hardly what I had hoped for.  The brown color of the wood was still quite evident, while the more open grain of the oak absorbed the stain nicely, giving me the blackness I wanted.  I followed directions and allowed the stain to dry, and applied a couple of more coats of stain, not getting anywhere near the color I expected.  Additionally, I knew the wood would not accept any more stain, since the more open black grain was “weeping” out bubbles of stain.  

This process took days to work through, and resulting in more research.  I have been painting and staining furniture since I was a teenager, and I have used a variety of stains and paints; but times change—and so do products.  In California, many of the products of my youth are no longer available here.  I decided to do some online research and tried some home-grown ideas, like soaking steel wool in plain white vinegar; the color of the vinegar does not change, but there is a chemical reaction that affects the tannin in wood, and that will make it black or dark gray—not quite black enough for my goal, but interesting just the same.

I went to a salvage yard in downtown Los Angeles and talked with a man there who showed me what he uses, another familiar name brand stain I have used in the past.   After testing this new stain on the underside of the leaf, I was delighted to see the results would be perfect!  This brand was much more viscous; after only one coat, I knew would give the result I sought. 

After stripping off what I could of the first failed attempt to stain the leaf, I sanded and washed the surface.  I applied the new stain to the base as well as the leaf.  I saved the top for last, wanting to do all my experimenting on the base and leaf.

I used an oil based finish of the same brand that I felt would be the best under the circumstances; however the weather turned and drying times took days to get to the point I could lay the first coat of finish.  Having to wait at least 4 hours between coats means that it will take another day at least to finish this project. 

Once there are sufficient coats of finish, this table will serve the family well for many years, giving them the modern look they want, while preserving the sentimental value of the old oak table of my client’s youth