Thursday, May 9, 2013

Plan B

So sometimes, things just don't go the way you've planned.  Do you know what I mean?  You have this vision and when you try to actualize it...well, it just doesn't look anything like the picture in your head.  That's what happened to me recently with this tray table.  When I saw this piece, with it's simple clean lines and dark brown finish, I had a plan.  Well, long story short, this piece started out as a rough coat of Old White with plenty of the dark wood showing through and a stencil...gone wrong.


Well, what to do?  I know!  That great new color I just bought, Florence! So I was "off to the races," again!


I decided to distress this table.  I just love the juxtaposition of the clean, more modern lines of the table, with the well-worn look that the distressing suggests...as though this table has been around forever.  I think that makes it a very interesting piece.  

Surprise!  Turns out that my little "mistake" added another layer of color and dimension to the finished look.  I love that!  Well, maybe Plan B isn't so bad after all!



 Of course, this table would be great as a sofa table or a foyer table with a couple of lamps and some favorite treasures.  

But I thought the tray- top of this piece, made it perfect as a serving piece.  Here, I have set it up as a 'bar" for serving wine.  This table is simple and lightweight, which also makes it very versatile.  It can be moved around and used for any number of purposes. 

Tip:  When having guests over for an event, consider rearranging your furniture for better seating and conversation.  Repurpose pieces, like this table, to serve a new function.  This could be a wine, an appetizer or a dessert station.  Pull up a couple of chairs and it could even serve as extra table seating, in a pinch. 

That's what creativity is all about.  There is always more than one way to do something.  Think outside of the box!   Use your stuff in new ways!  Move it around! Don't be too stiff!  Be flexible!  That's what I had to do with this design.  This is also true of life in general.  Sometimes you just have to shake things up!  Sometimes Plan B offers something even more interesting, exciting and unexpected!