The basics

There are a few pieces of furniture that any living space needs to have. One of them is a place to sit. Couch, chair, floor pillows, whatever works. The other fundamental piece is a table. We kind of had a table. A small, rickety table that moved from Pasadena, which was perpetually covered in clutter. Limited surface area in the kitchen sentenced it to becoming a dumping ground. Also, the chairs are unbelievably uncomfortable. Add all this up and you have us, eating, utterly paranoid, on the leather couch. It didn't make for relaxing dinners.

I'd been cruising craigslist for months (like since August) for a very particular dining room table. Classic, but not too ornate. But not too Shaker-simple. Not in any way contemporary. No tasteless padded chairs on casters, no four-figure antiques, no mismatched chairs. Definitely not counter height. No stone. Not that I'm picky or anything. Then, fabulously, this table got posted on craigslist. In Hugo, OR. For those not familiar, it is way the heck out in the middle of nowhere. A few miles in any direction away from Medford puts you in the middle of nowhere, and this was 45 minutes up the freeway, then 10 minutes into the woods.

It was beyond worth the drive. Other than being the steal of the century at $350, it's in mint condition, having been used as a conference table in the guy's office. For the money, I expected it to be dinged up and need a refinish, but the finish is almost completely scratch free. Beyond this, the chairs are actually quite comfortable AND it almost perfectly matches the china cabinet. The upholstery on the seats is agreeable enough for the time being, spotlessly clean, and easily replaced.

So now when you come over for dinner, you will be able to enjoy your pasta and pesto, instead of us watching your every bite to make sure any escaping noodles land on the drop cloth you would have been sitting on and not on our couch. Much more pleasant.

Here are a few more shots.