WOW!! I been wondering how it was coming . Looks fabulous. I bet the marble will be so beautiful. I didn't know you could wax and then have paint stick.Can you tell me how that works ? You have done such a beautiful job. c

Wow, it's really gorgeous - the marble will look amazing with that color. Thanks for sharing!
Maureen

You've got it backward Caroline! I stripped, sanded, painted (sanding in between coats) and then waxed (in lieu of any kind of poly finish)... OH.. and then hand buffed the paste wax finish. Thanks for the compliments. I'm really thrilled with the finish.

You have really done an amazing job. The marble will be the perfect top. Way to go:)

That is going to be the highlight of your kitchen. I love the color! So pretty and what a conversation piece, especially because you did it yourself!

Kat :)

I'm with Maureen...That color with marble will be a magnificent combo.

ooops just realized what you said in your post. I am so crazy ! what brand paste wax did you use? Thank you ! BTW Have you been baking? c

all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!

oh.....and I love the color......

I can't remember the name of the paste wax. It might have been Minwax or General Finishes. We got it at DH's favorite woodworking store. I remember being surprised that the guy recommended such a "common" everyday kind of brand as I was looking at exotic stuff. But I guess he knew what he was talking about as it gave exactly the desired effect.

Yes I've been baking .... thanks to your inspiration trailrunner! I mean, I always baked cakes/cookies... but never breads before. I've made artisan breads, pizzas, your applesauce raisan bread, ciabatta, rolls, whole wheat bread, and of course your challah. So please know Caroline that you've influenced my life permanently as I've discovered another new hobby that I love as does my family. Thank you for that! Next I want to learn how to make pita as I love middle eastern food. I would also like to learn about gluten free baking as our grandson is autistic and I'd like to try and influence my son in law to embrace the notion of a gluten free additive free diet to see if it impacts his development.

Elyse, that looks so pretty! What's the name of the color? How did you get the metal bins to look so brand new?

Thanks all!
erika... the color is a SW custom blend. I went back 3x cause the color didnt' strike me quite right. I'd tell them to add more gray/green/whatever. Of course, that was after I stained 5 different colors and painted 3 different colors till I found the look I wanted. Each time I had to re-strip and re-sand. Thank goodness I'm more stubborn then I am discouraged. I have this habit of not being able to quit on something. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes against. The zinc bins I strip and then metal sanded. I used a rubber mallet to gently pound out the dents as best I could. I also buffed them up with a thin coat of paste wax.

Your table is looking great. I can't wait to see it with the marble top and hardware. I also admire your determination. That is a lot of re-stripping and re-sanding. The table will certainly be a showstopper in your remodel.

You did a beautiful job on the gorgeous table.

I've been wondering about that table. It's turning out really nice.

Oh, wow . . . that's just gorgeous! Congratulations on a project well done!! You'll love it forever . . . can't wait to see it with the top!!

Wow! That looks amazing! You really do beautiful work. Between you and your incredibly talented DH, your kitchen is going to be a stunner! Can't wait to see it with the marble.

I've been trying to visualize the bakers table in your recent layout posts. I am so glad to see it! You are doing an awesome job. Marble will be icing on the cake:D

Very, very nice job, Elyse. It's quite beautiful! I can't wait to see it with the marble top!

That table is amazing! I can't believe you got from here to there - hey, you didn't show us all the inbetween steps! (Stains, paints, etc. ;-)) I want the full journey!!!

Heck, I want all the baked goods you're making. ;-)

Okay, forget the baked goods - bad for my waistline. I'll settle for finished kitchen pics. Can't wait!

charlikin... if my kitchen turns out as beautiful as yours I'll be delighted! It's going to be an odd mix of repurposed old and semi contemporary. The only uppers I know I plan on are going to be at the second half of the sink run by my oven. If I put any uppers above the bakers table they will be stainless and glass of some sort of glass(probably frosted and probably IKEA). The rest of the cabs will be a very wide rail/stile simple shaker design. I'm leaning toward red birch or possibly teak. Depends on availability and cost. I'm planning on the marble (without question) on the table. I'm going to start to tool around to find a piece that'll be perfect. These are the pulls I decided on. I'm going to order them after I figure out what I need to order for another piece I'm going to refinish for the master bath vanity. It's an old dry sink that I took apart. I took off all the americanaish trim, top, and base. I'm going to take off the hardware and order some thing in a brushed nickel finish. I didn't take a pic prior to taking it apart but will now and then when I complete it. Our master bath is tiny... and I needed something real small scale. OH... here's the pulls.

I am amazed you saw it for what it could be and would be. Wow, you obviously have a creative mind. Hats off to you and your vision, it is wonderful!!

remodelfla, That is absolutely gorgeous! I LOVE the blue and love how well it integrates with the zinc. Really lovely.

I can't believe the level of effort you've put into this! Utterly amazing.

'sfunny - I've been back at GW the past few days because I've had you and your table in mind and wanted to see if you had posted an update on your baking table: and look you just obliged me!

Elyse you are such an inspiration. I do hope that the coming Passover is very special in your home and wish you joy in your celebration. Caroline

That is absolutely beautiful! WOW!
You did an amazing job redoing that.

I can't wait to see it with the top in your kitchen :) It's fabulous...thanks for rescuing such a gem!! She deserved another chance at life!

Again... thanks so much for all your positive thoughts. I admit... I've never worked as hard on a piece as I did on this. I really really took my time to try and do each tiny step completely and not scrimp on anything. I don't come by that naturally and my DH/SO has been a real influence in that department. I've learned by watching how exacting he is in everything he does. There were many deep breaths, talking to myself, and deliberate concentration to take it slow. Kinda forced myself. Metal sanding... that was a first too!
Thanks again... you're all so kind. I can't wait to get to my kitchen and be able to share the process with all of you.

Oooh! It looks great! It is such a wonderful piece and will make your kitchen unique! I can't wait to see it with the marble on it. You did a fantastic job!

Just fantastic! Can't wait to see it with the marble top--it is going to be amazing!

Wonderful work!

I'm jealous. How old is that, anyway? Pulls are perfect. Great job. Can't wait to see it all come together! kris

OH MY WORD! That piece makes me weak in the knee's! It is just beautiful. You must have worked like a dog to bring this diamond in the rough back to life. Great Job.

What a gorgeous piece! The color was a wise choice and I anxiously await a photo with the marble.

Oh, WOW, WOW, WOW!!! Have relished the updates along this table's journey and what a beautiful piece you have salvaged! Love the color and can't wait to see your next "chapter" when you add a top! Fantastic work!!!

It's kinda funny. The woman I bought it from off craigslist told me it had been in her parents garage for as long as she could remember. Now she was at least my age... I think she said it was orginally her Aunts or Grandparents... I do know it was always in her family. She would not sell it me until she was certain I would do right by it and I had to speak to her brother in Michigan before she would complete the sale. They estimated it to be between 80 - 100 years old.

Simply beautiful - I wish it lived at my house! And it has so much more character than the poly'd oak one that my sister has.

remodel

I NEED that piece It's ME in so many ways, please deliver!
I have really enjoyed following your work of love - this is truly stunning! I know you are now totally bonded to it, so that my thought of having it will be now be envy only :( I just love old pieces and giving them new life what a joy! Think of all that piece "gave" now you gave back

Did you ever determine the species of wood? I thought it was Fir
Also, can you post a pic of the top? - the zinc top couldn't be salvaged?
Please send a pic to the previous owner that will brighten their day

Thanks for sharing

jejvtr... you're so funny! The piece was made of a variety of woods. Apparently it was simply a work horse and whoever built it did so out of what was available to them at the time. It is (I believe) a combination of maple, pine, poplar perhaps and Lord knows what else. The zinc was unsalvageable. It was torn, had chemical stains on it, etc. It was housed in a garage and used there for many years. I considered "re-zincing" it; but prefer the thought of how amazing marble will look. I can't wait to find my marble piece and complete it. I looked through 3 years of sent emails to try and find the owners email address but then remembered I called them off craigslist and never sent them an email. I don't have their phone number saved. Too bad... I would have enjoyed sending them a pic when it was completed.

Woohoo!!!! What a beauty!!

remodelfla - I'm not familiar with these bakers tables. I haven't googled this, either. Did they just store flour or sugar or whatever in those big drawers? My mil had drawers in her old kitchen for flour and sugar. Just like bins. Just wondered how they used them.

Wow that is truly a work of art. Can't wait to see it with the marble. It will be a wonderful space to create all kinds of great things!!

krissd... I don't know a thing really about old pieces but did learn that they did in fact store flour in the bins. I hope to do the same. Down here in Fl., we have to keep most things like that in ziplocs due to humidity and bugs so I hope it comfortably works. I'm thinking I can keep spices, extracts, and such in the larger square drawer... DH may need to make me some kind of divider. I may have him even make some kind of false bottom inside the bin so I have a flat surface for the sugars and flours. I the smaller drawers I'll keep utensils.

It's ironic cause my own taste for my home typically does not lean toward antiques but there was something about this piece I love. I think it's the clean simple sturdy lines. I do love to repurpose things and make them into something different. I look an kitchen island and turned it into a vanity for my bath... we got that off craigslist for $75. I took and old cheap gateleg table that was sitting outside DH's house... all moldy and rotted. That is now a great buffet table that I finished with Italian irridescant tile. It's such a fun hobby. I have friends who love to scrapbook and do crafts... for the life of me I would never in a million years have the patience for that. All those little bitty pieces give me anxiety! But I absolutely LOVE watching wood change and saving something giving it new purpose. In some ways I'm such a girly girl and in others...NOT!

I always thought it was funny my mil kept a drawer for flour and sugar, but it makes sense. My tupperware containers I have had my flour and sugar in for years do not work in my new 'baking center/hutch', so I've been tempted to just dump them in the drawer. Don't know if I will yet or not.

Will you have a spice drawer rack for your spices? I'm thinking of that for my hutch. This little baking center we have in my kitchen (used to be my desk) got me on an antiques kick. I went to a salvage place to get glass knobs - love the old glass knobs - and ended up buying glass knobs and antique drawer pulls for the hutch and island in my kitchen! (Original plan was to buy all new, more modern looking.) I am in love with them, and now want to buy all sorts of old things!

I can see where it could be contagious - like your examples of repurposed furniture. I too like the idea of reusing things. I do scrapbook, but these sort of projects like you are doing are a bit more gratifying sometimes. It's a huge change you're accomplishing. Congrats - and thanks for the info! Have a great weekend.
Kris

PS - Pics of the kitchen island turned bath vanity?