Dining Room Table

The next phase in the remodel is the dining room table.  I had envisioned a table seven and a half feet long by five feet wide.  It would be oval with drop-leaf sides.  Each drop leaf would be 18 inches wide, and the center base of the table would be two feet wide.  According to my sketches it would seat 10 people ... giving every person 24+ inches of elbow space... the recommended space is 21-24 inches.

The booth on the other side of the kitchen gives 21 inches per person and seats 6 adults pretty easily.

This week I went to Mission City Container and bought 3 sheets of 4ft by 8ft cardboard so I could mock up the table.  Mission City sells cardboard boxes and sheet cardboard.  Nice people... a good source for grandkids playhouse cardboard when you aren't buying new appliances.  Here are the results of the test... 

View from the kitchen sink...

The TV doesn't have the mirror glass and frame yet.  The price on the mirror has dropped about 25 % since I first priced it... maybe it will drop more. 

With the drop leaf down (on the floor in this case) there will be 4ft  7 inches of walkway to and from the living room...  the goal was 4 feet or more... so it works.  Yea...  I figure the leaf will only be up 2 or 3 days out of the year.

This house did not have window moldings.  Years ago I did the upstairs.  This month I did the trim around these two windows and the kitchen.  What a difference.

In the photo below you can see the bookcase next to the fireplace... that's next... can't wait do to that.  I am really excited about that design.

I bought a piece of Cypress wood (for the top of the table) yesterday and I have been working on distressing it and adding a light gray stain or dye to the natural color.  I am not sure that is going to work.  It is pretty soft wood... that why I am distressing it... might as well make the first dents myself.  I saw some pecan lumber today I liked better, so now my mind is wandering... pecan is much harder.  I always thought of pecan wood being very dark, but the Pecan I saw today was almost as light as Maple.  It's actually lighter than this cardboard and has brown and black streaks in it.  With a little gray wash coat on it ... it might work...  that will be this weekend's project.  The base will be Maple stained in a Java color... like the chairs.

Note to self:  When distressing wood by slinging a chain at it...  ...  ...  don't hold the target wood in your hand... in case you miss....  ouch !