Table tale: a young couple's coffee table changes along with their tastes - Home - furniture decoration, refinishing - Brief Article

Sunset, Oct, 2002 by Mary Jo Bowling

Heidi Knodle was ready to marry Gary Floyd, but she wasn't ready to live with his cherished coffee table. The problem: she found its knotty pine surface and blue legs less than attractive. But, as the saying goes, she was in the relationship for "better or worse"--furniture included.

Sentimental reasons had kept Floyd and the coffee table together for many years. He bought it in the 90s and calls it his first "real" piece of furniture. Inevitably certain things change when two people move in together, and in this couple's case, the coffee table was one of the first.

Instead of discarding the table, they "remodeled" it as their decorating schemes and tastes changed. To date, it's had five coats of paint (white, red, purple, green, and ochre) and has even been distressed to look more like an antique: Floyd and Knodle whipped it with lengths of chain from the hardware store.

Today, it sports the most sophisticated look yet. The legs are painted khaki green and the top is padded and upholstered. "The upholsterer thought I was crazy," says Knodle. "But after it was done, it looked great. It works as a table and extra seating."

The underside tells the history of the table. The couple has recorded the treatment, cost, and date of each transformation. The first entry documents the purchase for $250; the last states the paint and upholstery cost at $350, plus a bottle of wine for the delivery man. It's a decorating trip down memory lane and proof that love--and sturdy furniture--endure.