Kitchen Console Table

One of the biggest issues I find with decorating such a large space is that by the time I am done with the planned projects, I get an amazing idea about something new. It's just a dangerous revolving cycle. My kitchen has been one of the safest spaces. Not that I don't have dreams of new counter tops and light fixtures (totally the fault of HGTV), but I can easily talk myself out of them. There is one project however that I have been wanting to do. I have a giant window in the kitchen, and I wanted to add a console table in front. I have contemplated a few retail purchases, but most things seemed too busy. Besides, I had some old pieces that I used for a desk at one point, so why not recycle materials.

So, first a trip to Home Depot. I measured the window and decided on a 1' x 4' ft table. They actually sell lumber in this exact size, so no cutting was necessary.

Now unlike most projects where I paint things in a color, for this piece I really wanted to go for a wood stain. My kitchen has more of an earthy feel to it, and I thought the stain would be a good complement. I chose the color Kona by Varathane. It's one of their darker stains. Now, I had never stained anything before so this was going to be an adventure to say the least.

Before starting I did a little research and even did a test patch. It took me a few coats to get the coverage I wanted. Even with all of that though, I think my application was still a little off. I definitely under estimated how messy staining was. Not the easiest painting project I've done, but it still came out good in the end. 

In between coats I tackled the legs. The legs were actually the inspiration for the table's design. I had these legs from a desk that I built years ago. I have since built another desk, but always kept the legs...just in case. You never know when stuff will come in handy. I thought this was as good a time as any to use them. They are really plumbing pipes, so it would give the table a little more of an industrial cool feel. 

 I gave all 4 legs a couple coats of black spray paint.

Once the top and the legs were dry I put everything together. I placed the top on the floor, and screwed the legs to the bottom. 

When I turned the table right side up, it was little skinnier and a lot heavier than I had anticipated.  I was still digging it though. I added a layer of protective finish and let it dry over night.

The next morning I carried the table upstairs to the kitchen 

With everything completely dry, I really liked the finished look of the wood stain. 

I placed it in front of the window.

Now I have to put something on it. Originally I was just going to add something random to the top. Then I read an article in my HGTV magazine about growing herbs indoors. I thought it was a great idea. Being that the table is long and narrow, anything too heavy would cause the table to sag over time. That meant typical ceramic pots were out. While I was at Target I came across these cute copper pots. The only problem is that they had no drainage hole at the bottom. So, I had to create some. I got out my tools and power drill

Putting holes in metal is not easy to say the least. It definitely took lots patience and persistence. I used the screw driver to make a dent in the metal, and then used my drill to slowly make a hole. I made 2 holes in each pot for ample drainage. 

Once the pots had all been prepared, I filled them with soil and potted an herb in each pot. For my herbs I chose Rosemary, Thyme, and Cilantro.

Herbs need lots of sunlight, so I put them right under the window.

 Excuse the cilantro. It didn't hold up too well during the transition, so it became a little limp. 

I also bought a cactus for some color. 

So that's it. It's nice to finally have something by the window. This was actually one of the easiest projects I've done to date. The wood stain however made it one of the messiest. I had to throw my paint brush and rags away. Oh, and before you ask...I do actually cut and use the herbs when I'm cooking. If my herbs work out, maybe I'll get up the courage to build a real garden outside. We'll see...that's definitely another project for a future day. Until then....It's on to the next project.