Wednesday 27 January 2010

Retro telephone table part II and a nice mention

I'm glad I consulted my fellow bloggers regarding Jason's family heirloom - the retro telephone table. I wasn't actually planning to do all that much with it, but seriously, your enthusiastic responses spurred me on.

Mind you, I didn't exactly follow any of your advice, but the fact you commented was enough to breathe some funkilicious life back into this sad piece of furniture.


I started by sanding down the little bugger because it was covered in a very thin layer of flat brown lacquer. Hmmm...so very fashionable in 1967.

Fortunately the base is a lovely solid teak. And the boxy top part still had the teak veneer intact minus a couple of small nicks.

After a good dust down, I applied a thin coat of oil based Estapol. After allowing it to dry for the required eight hours, I sanded it lightly and applied a second coat.


When it was dry, I sanded it very lightly and applied some natural teak oil (Scandinavian) with a soft rag to make it gleam and bring out the natural grain in the teak.


Yesterday, while the table was drying (and the rest of Australia was barbecuing) I quickly ducked into Spotlight to see if I could find a suitable fabric to cover the old cream vinyl seat. I didn't exactly want to break the bank for Jason's heirloom - something affordable would do the trick.


For $12.50, I bought half a metre of this turquoise and brown patterned material. It has a mid century vibe to it and I like the vibrant colour against the white walls.

I've just glued it down for now and will have it stapled properly when I borrow a friend's staple gun.



Retro telephone table with ruby red Whitefriars soda vase

It is a definite improvement from before. I hope you are not too disappointed that I didn't heed your advice, but it was certainly helpful in that I couldn't leave that brown paint (and lazy me would've been inclined to do so).

I will end up using Jason's Nana's telephone table as a quirky lamp table in the lounge room...when I get a lamp...


On another topic, Melbourne blogger, Helen Webberley from ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly wrote a blog post on Queenslander homes with some references and links to Fun and VJs. (Helen's blog topics are many and varied - from a 1660s cook book to the history of beach huts in Australia and Britain - making it an interesting read.)


Fun and VJs is a very small blog, so when it gets a mention elsewhere in blogland it does not go unnoticed.

It is very, very flattering and I just wanted to share the love.

13 comments:

  1. Very cool transformation - really love the fabric!

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  2. Well I am glad you didn't heed my INSANE advice to rip the top section off. I think that looks amazing, I really do. Love it against the white. Good on you. xox

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  3. It looks good, still retro but in a much snazzier way!

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  4. Looks Great Anita! Teak is such a Beautiful wood! Very cool fabric choice too! Love it!

    Hugs ~ Teresa

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  5. 1000% improvement - and the fabric is a winner!

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  6. Well done on the make over and the mention. So you're a Turquoise and brown girl hmm???

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  7. OMG, how lovely! Congrats to you for having the sense not to take your daffy readers' advice.

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  8. What a transformation! I can understand the thought of getting the old paint off was something you had to get your head round, but it looks fantastic, and the retro inspired fabric suits it so well.

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  9. Thanks everyone! Just for the record,I didn't think any of the advice you gave me was bad. If I couldn't redeem the teak veneer, I would have definitely painted it ivory or white, knocked the top off it, recovered the seat in teal, and given it to one of the boys as an art table!

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  10. Love love love it, it looks great! You could start a side project as a furniture restorer.... great! More things on your plate!

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  11. Hi Anita! I have just had a wonderful time reading all of your old posts. You and Jason have been rather busy these last few weeks haven't you! I am so impressed with your phone table transformation and the paint job looks fantastic.

    Thanks for the mention too re your award- loved reading all of your info.

    Well, Happy New Year and best wishes always, Natasha.

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