Vintage medical table.
A while ago on a Saturday morning, Paul and I were at an estate sale… In the basement was this vintage medical table.
I posted a photo on Facebook asking you to talk me out of it. (Which I knew you wouldn’t.) Half of you said—have you lost your mind? You do NOT need a portable toilet.
But at least half of you thought I DID need the table. And at $10, it was the sort of thing that if I didn’t get it, I’d have not-buyer’s remorse.
So I said to Paul – I guess we’d better get that. And as he was carrying it upstairs he said – why do you always want to get the crappiest thing in the place?
I looked around, confused… Because, hello? I guarantee you I could find something crappier.
Paul added – if I wanted to bring home ANYTHING from this basement… There is no way you would let me.
Which is true… only one of us can be the arbiter of what disgusting things may enter our home.
I also got dishes. Because I am a dish hoarder.
Similar to the way Paul is a clamp hoarder.
He claims that you can never have enough clamps. However? I assure you that we have MORE than enough clamps.
If at some point there is a clamp-shortage in the world? We will make a fortune speculating on other people’s clamp–misfortune.
When we got home, Paul got to work on the table immediately.
I would have just added it to my growing mountain of crap in the garage. But Paul is starting to worry that he will be crushed under the impending avalanche.
Rather than use paint stripper, Paul took the grinder to it.
This was WAY, WAY, WAY faster.
And less likely to give us cancer.
It wouldn’t work for a large surface or for something you were concerned about keeping pristine, but for this, it was great.
We did a coat of primer, and then sprayed it with a white gloss.
At some point the glass shelves were replaced with mirrors and I still have to get replacement glass cut.
I’ve been waiting to do a post until I actually got the shelves… But I’ve recently remembered that any time the last 10% of a project is left to me, historically, it remains unfinished.
In the interest of full disclosure, it’s not staying in the bathroom. It doesn’t actually fit there.
I only put it there for photos because it LOOKS nice, and since this is a blog, I am contractually obligated to make you feel like my living space is nicer than yours.
See all my favorite Craigslist finds.
November 6, 2013 @ 10:29 am
Ugh. I am also a hoarder of other peoples’ old crap, until I can’t take it anymore and haul it all out to the curb every couple of years. And then I see posts like this and remember something I used to have that I totally could have spray painted white and put in the bathroom, but dangit, I got rid of it in one of my crap purges!
November 6, 2013 @ 11:16 am
I hear you – I have a basement full of treasures that could fill an antique and/or second hand shop, which I periodically purge and place out front with a big FREE sign. Every time I go to an antique show, garage sale or consignment shop, with out fail, I see items that I know I have somewhere in the dark recesses of my basement, making it that much harder to purge the next time I get the urge, since their value is reinforced by seeing them at these venues.
November 6, 2013 @ 10:30 am
Oh, the burden of having The Sight – the ability to see things as they could be! Which most always comes coupled with The Affliction of Time Lackedness. You are fortunate to have a husband to carry out the 90% – good choice!
The cart is marvelous, especially with the black & white enamel trays!
November 6, 2013 @ 10:34 am
As I gazed at your finished product, I wanted it for my own to stage in my bathroom and look good. Great find. I have to pin to my new Shabby Chic board http://www.pinterest.com/SueHKaboodle/shabby-chic/ so I can remember it…forever.
November 6, 2013 @ 10:37 am
I, too, am a dish hoarder, to my husband’s dismay (“We HAVE dishes!!!”).
I love the mirrors, but glass would be great as well. Great score!
November 6, 2013 @ 10:42 am
Honey! Find a place that will sandblast and powdercoat that kind of stuff. Cheap, easy, and a more durable finish than spraypaint.
November 6, 2013 @ 10:54 am
That’s a stunning transformation! This makes me want to spend the next few weekends at estate sales. Nice work!
November 6, 2013 @ 10:58 am
Now you have made me realize the grand mistake I have been making. I am not the one piling up the projects that sit for years all in different states of not done. It is my husband’s fault! HE should have been doing the prep work so that I could then do the fun and gratifying painting part, styling part and taking credit part. I will be filling him in on this revelation promptly…he has been slacking. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways.
November 6, 2013 @ 10:59 am
Oh, Victoria, you make my day!
November 6, 2013 @ 11:00 am
I love how it is on castors. (Casters?) It looks great! Where do you plan to put it?
November 6, 2013 @ 11:02 am
Mission accomplished!
November 6, 2013 @ 11:02 am
Here’s the thing: your house IS actually nicer than mine! Good purchase, though!
November 6, 2013 @ 11:03 am
I too, would have grabbed the table!! It looks gorgeous, I would leave the mirrored shelves in!!!
November 6, 2013 @ 11:08 am
This is something that I can remember saying only once before in my entire life: You were right; I was wrong. I hated the ugly metal thing when I saw the “before” picture. Now I’m wondering where I can get one.
November 6, 2013 @ 11:10 am
Good find. I would have snagged those screen doors to distress and add wire in place of the screen. I hoard old, crappy doors and table top wear. You can never have enough of either!
November 6, 2013 @ 11:16 am
Why oh why would you ever take the mirrored shelves out? They’re perfectly lovely as they are. And very shiny too!!
November 6, 2013 @ 11:31 am
Junk, Junk, Junk! Ah, how I love it. It makes my heart sing and makes me happy, happy, happy! I have a barn to put all my treasures in! So there! Ok already, my house does NOT look better than yours, but it does look better than my barn.
November 6, 2013 @ 11:56 am
What a great find! It looks great in bright white. It’s a shame it doesn’t fit in the bathroom since it looks so good in there.
November 6, 2013 @ 11:57 am
OK. So that table is GORGEOUS. You clearly have an eye for converting junk to jewels. What I’M wondering is: Would you come look at all the shit in my house and tell me how to fix it?
November 6, 2013 @ 12:00 pm
Paul is right! You can never have too many clamps. There are different shapes and sizes for different purposes. Also, you often need several matching clamps for one project. Moreover, you need multiple sets for simultaneous projects, or for oversize-type projects such as your Craigslist finds. Plus you need extras because they are cool. Plus you need antique clamps because they are even cooler.
November 6, 2013 @ 12:08 pm
Lucky find! I can’t wait to see what you come home with next!