Ok, so I have just made the most amazing discovery. I know everyone else discovered this ages ago, but for some reason its taken me until now.
It doesn't look like much here, but with a good clean, it came up beautifully! I don't want to sand it or stain it, as I love its charater so much. It reminds me of the dining table we had in my family home, growing up, and we bought it from a family who had it while their children were growing up too! We love it. We sit down and eat our dinner at it most nights, and instead of sitting with guests in the lounge room, we often sit around the table and chat. I will post pics of it in the dining area just as soon as my camera battery is charged! It originally came from a farm in Tangambalanga, near Albury, and is made of Kauri Pine. Oh...and it cost me $133.50
Its called Ebay, and I am in love! I am supposed to be saving towards renovations (kitchen, bathroom, laundry, electrical, doors, roof...Promise to tell you all about it soon!), but I made a fabulous purchase just a few weeks ago, and won my second item today!
Item 1: This gorgeous 80 year old (approximately) dining table.
It doesn't look like much here, but with a good clean, it came up beautifully! I don't want to sand it or stain it, as I love its charater so much. It reminds me of the dining table we had in my family home, growing up, and we bought it from a family who had it while their children were growing up too! We love it. We sit down and eat our dinner at it most nights, and instead of sitting with guests in the lounge room, we often sit around the table and chat. I will post pics of it in the dining area just as soon as my camera battery is charged! It originally came from a farm in Tangambalanga, near Albury, and is made of Kauri Pine. Oh...and it cost me $133.50
Item 2: A church pew!!!
We currently have a bench on one side of our table, but it's a dark stained timber, and it doesn't look right next to the lighter colour of the table. I am happy to mix my timber finishes (a new acceptance!), but the bench is both modern AND dark, so there is too much contrast. I am going to move the bench to the sitting room (to be!) as a coffee table, and replace it with this! I will most likely paint it black, which will look great with our white floors and shutters, and dark grey walls. I love it...and even though it wasn;t as much of a bargain as the table, it was cheaper than the cost of 3 chairs!
On the other side of the table, I think we need something a little more retro, to work with the light, and prevent the whole area from getting too 'matchy matchy', so I am thinking of perhaps some Eames DSW side chairs in Black
Or the original plan...the Tolix A chair in galvanised
What I love about buying items off Ebay, is the personality they have. I felt that my home was becoming too plain, and beginning to appear a little like I had bought everything on the same day, from the same store. It wasn't welcoming...it didn't feel like a 'home'.
These pre-loved pieces are making a big difference!
Then, I found elements of this look didn't work so well in this house...since I don't live in a Scadinavian country, but instead in Melbourne, Australia! So I painted the dining room grey.
But it still didn't feel right. We bought a new light...which we LOVED, but the rest of the room just felt bland. I have been playing with the house quite a bit over the last few days, instroducing some more 'neutrals', and lighter wood tones (a whole nother post!), and wanted to incorporate a little bamboo table my husband rescued when his parents cleaned out their office.
And the 
They are hidden away in the children's fabric department! I would love to use them in my home...and I don't have any children (with the exception of my furchild of course!)
We love the effect of the white shutters against the new dark colour! It also helps define the dining area from the living room. The light will be fantastic against this colour too!
