Gate-leg table...

Hi Everyone!  I hope you had a great weekend!  I'm still working on my projects and we'll be back to putting up hay as soon as it dries out from the rain we've had.  It's nice to have my step-nephew Quinton here.  But all that means I don't have a new project to share with you.  I was sitting at my dining room table when it dawned on me that I needed to share this with you.  And no, I didn't make it.  But someone very close to me did.  It was my dad.  He made it for me back when I was living in an apartment in West Des Moines.  I had a nice 3rd floor apartment that laked one thing, space for a table.  I could have crammed one into a nook, but it would have been tight and awkward.  So for Christmas that first year, my dad surprised me with this gate-leg table. 

He had seen it in a book and got a hold of the plans and had several discussions with the guys at the local hardware store about making it.  He's made a few things, but he's by no means a carpenter guy (so I did not get my woodworking skills from him) but he did a fabulous job on it.

Gate-leg tables were first introduced in England in the 16th century and became very popular in America in the 18th century because of their space saving design.  So it was perfect for my apartment.  The gate swings open to support the table top on both ends of the table and then swings closed to allow the table top to hang and closing it up to take up about as much space as an occasional table behind a sofa. 

This table has travelled from Des Moines to Colorado and back to Iowa.  While I was living in Colorado I found some oak chairs to match it.  Now I'm not a big fan of  the oak look, but I'm afraid to just paint it and since I know how long it took him to make it, I've been hesitant about asking him if I could paint it because I don't want to hurt his feelings.  One of these days I'll get up the courage to ask.  Until then, I'll enjoy the oak because my dad made it for me!  Thanks for stopping by.