The journey starts … now!

THAT WAS THEN…

Part I: The Last Suppers

The last time a Carpenter came through my door, he broke my heart and cleared out his furniture, including his most beautiful, real-wood, heavy, dining room table.

Nearly black like the colour of my true {ex-} love’s hair, the dining room table was a very rich, espresso-coloured structure with the glossiest table top, and fit for Kings with four chairs and a big wooden bench. Walnut? Oak? Something more durable than our relationship, anyroads.

There, we had shared our breakfasts half awake, taco dinners in fits of laughter, and one Christmas celebration in warmth. We’d watch Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune from “our” table, and even caught that episode where that New York City editor got lucky and decoded the most complex(t) of puzzles in but a few letters, shouting the answer: “I’ve Got A Very Good Feeling About This!!”

While that lucky lady made it to the bonus round with her great feeling about that, I was having a very “bad feeling” about this: my own round in the game called LoveLife, thanks. I landed on BANKRUPT, man — emotionally, intimately, and challenged in the furniture department, you bet it: “table-y” bereft.

I needed a god-damn table. When he left, there would be a big void in my apartment, and a hole in my heart, and I’d need to fill it. Fast. Panic set in, and I did what any Carpenter-less female might do: I ordered from Sears. Oh, fake-wood table from Sears. Mr. Carpenter was too distracted to help me shop for the right thing, but he did pick up the order for me in his truck and delivered it. Oh, and what a load. But then guess what happened…

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THIS IS NOW…

In the first meeting to discuss my new threshing-floor dining room table, I meet Matthew Wallace of naCoille Studio, Ottawa (Ontario – Canada) on Easter Monday.

He is a family man, a photographer, a graphic designer, an artist and entrepreneur — and a wood guy. From my first conversation over the phone with Matthew, I know I’m in for a treat. Professionalism, knowledge and ideas is what this guy is all about.

He comes over today to measure the space I have in the dining room for the table. We measure it up for a table of about 5 feet long, and 40 inches wide! He brings with him samples of the wood he’ll use for the legs and for the table top. We’ll go with a more traditional apron-leg fit and he’ll stain them a bit darker than the top. That’s because the natural colours in the wood end up shining through after treatment, and often you’ll find a nice mix of rich, dark colours!

Here’s the wood he brought! He salvages very old wood from decrepit Ottawa-region barns. It’s in rough shape now, but you’ll see how he’ll transform something abandoned and discarded into something…beautiful.

What a great first consult. In one hour, I know where we’re heading, and it’s going to be great!

Check back here soon for more updates about the Sears catastrophe and Step 2 of the Table-Build!