You take my breath away. Absolutely gorgeous.

dody

Wow that is amazing!

In a throw-away world, you brought that door to glory! Looks wonderful and I commend you on your efforts - what satisfaction you must feel each time you look at it.

Wow--that's gorgeous! Such a great story, too!

Beautiful table, with such meaning too!

I do have some concerns;

Note the holes where the hinges were cut into the door, and where the handle was. As a child I would have found them a perfect place to hide my peas :)

Also, this is in a house we are renovating to sell.

We both feel the table should stay with the house due to the history.

I plan on leaving a note on the table explaining the origin of the table, and telling potential buyers if they "love it" they can have it, if they "hate it" we will take it away.

Do you think that is appropriate?

I am guessing by the quick responses here, a buyer will want it.

Ah, it is beautiful...and someday someone else will be giving that table a new life in some fashion and the peas will become another part of its story.

Wonderful.

I have a very special place in my heart for people who say "since it had survived so much it deserved a second chance". The payoff is apparent -- your table is gorgeous. There is nothing quite so beautiful to me as old, well-worn, well-loved and beautifully cared for. Just gorgeous!

Add the pics of the whole process, from finding the door to the stripping, the finishing, etc. Pics will really work better to snag a buyer's interest than a simple note. I'd bind up a "short story" type of memory book (make one for you too!) and leave it open at the "Found" page with the story captioned below each of the photos. It creates an emotional connection, and that's what makes a house into a home. It might even sell the house to the right buyer!

How nice is that?! Fantastic job & story - both right up my alley!

Fantastic!

Beautiful ! I have one almost exactly the same made from heart pine flooring that I rescued from a demolition site in Montgomery AL. The story that goes with your table is wonderful and your hard work to save it...I sure hope the new owners want it but if not I would rescue it again rather than have it end up on the curb. c

Brilliant job!

Decor with purpose, heart and beauty. My favorite style!

Wow Wow Wow, what a fabulous conversation piece! I love your vision, great job!!!

Any man with sentiment like that in his heart is a keeper...

I would be nervous about leaving the door. My grandmother sold her lake cottage years ago. She sold it with most of the furnishings in it, despite her family's protests. There was a lot of family sentiment attached to some of these things, but in the end they were hers to do with as she wished. (She was an artist and had traveled the world -with her eye and just a bit of money, she had collected some really terrific things.) So she grandly gave them all to the new owners with the caveat, "Please dears, do let me know if anything just doesn't work for you, and J____ will drive over and take it off your hands." Weeks after they new owners took possession, a family friend who had been in the cottage many times over the years, made his monthly pilgramage to the town dump, and recognized many pieces as having come from the cottage. He took what he could and returned it to us. We went back for more but it was gone and/or ruined. So be cautious....

Good job, great table!

Do you know what the wood is?
It's such lovely planks.
I admit, I'd really want to keep it.
But with today's styles, it's farmhouse-y enough that they might love it even without its roots!

If you live close by, I'll [ahem] store it for you.

Wonderful story and brillant results -- what a wonderful table!!

I admit freely that I would be keeping it -- and cherishing its history -- and its renovation story too!

Very well done indeed! :)

I love furniture with a story. Beautiful.

Slightly OT and I'm probably talking to the converted - but - friends of ours are closing their antique store after 32 years in business because nobody wants furniture with a story. Many people are getting rid of their "older" stuff and replacing it with PB stuff. Most people are buying things from Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware etc. I don't know why. I love stuff with a story.

Personally I would probably keep the table.

Brilliant! It is beautiful and I would take it in a heartbeat! Congratulations to you and DH for having the vision to save it-not to mention putting in the time and the elbow grease. Worth every second of effort, I think. I suspect I would keep it, too.

I would keep it too, it's gorgeous. But if you decide it would be best left with the house, I'd leave the note with a price for the table. Someone may say they want it just to turn around and sell it.

Yes, I'm a cynic. ;)

That is so cool!

Thank you SOOO much for all the compliments. It really makes all that hard work worth it! We left the house before lunch, and had to take a short road trip. I was shocked to just check in and find so many replies! Let me see if I can answer questions.

olychick - Good point. Wouldn't that be neat if generations from now, some Grandparent tells stories about how her kids used to hide their peas in the holes in the table.

GreenDesigns - I don't think I'll want to show a buyer that before picture. They might run from the house screaming.

bestyears - Unfortunately he bears that sentiment to an extreme. If I was not around to keep him under control, he would be a hoarder. But occasionally we agree. Finding your Grandmother's possessions in the dump must have been heartbreaking, especially since she gave them someone's conact info. I would hope that if someone tell's me the want it, they wouldn't toss it.

CEFreeman - The door was originally created using leftover planks from the floor. Old heart pine. Some of the grain is very tight.

marti8a - Gosh I hadn't thought of that. I guess it will depend on how attached I get to between now and when we sell the house.

Now I am going to confess that I considered painting it after discovering the 7 layers of paint. Sanding wasn't working (and probably dangerous due to lead paint probability). I am glad a stuck with it. Took about 4 coats of Ready-Strip, and lots of scraping.

Ditto everything everyone has stated. Beautiful story.

Wow, just gorgeous! Love the story. That's a tough one on keeping it vs. leaving it.

Stunning!

Beautiful! I'm so impressed you were able to make it look like that given how it started.

I would absoultely keep that table. The only way I would leave it for the next owners is if I knew them and knew they would care for it. Maybe if they specifically asked about the table being included in the sale, I would consider it, but even then you never know what they will do with it in a year.

I would so keep that table!

Love the table - reclaimed wood harvest or farm tables are very popular and expensive....I love it and would keep it.

Love it and the chairs, too...
How kind of you to offer to leave it, as it does belong with the house~~ but only if the new owners will cherish it. :)

You are nicer than me and the table would go with me. It's gorgeous Barb.

Such a great story! Wonderful table - great job saving a piece of house history. If your note to prospective buyers includes the whole story, hopefully it will draw a buyer with an appreciation for the connection to the house.

I would echo bestyears...and be positive they really really wanted the table. While I agree with the comments here about it being absolutely wonderful, sadly there are far too many who would not treasure it.

Maybe I should tape a note under the bottom of the table that says:

"Please DON'T throw me away! Call Barb @ ###-###-####. She rescued me once, and she will rescue me again."

Wow...fantastic table!! What an amazing job!
I can't imagine new homeowner not wanting it, but yes, make sure you leave your contact # if they do not want it.
(I would've found it hard to part with!
Love the story:)