modern thrifter

[ NEW COFFEE TABLE ]

Not too long ago, I added a coffee table to my master list of items that I hope to find at the thrift store. I’ve been looking without much success, but last Saturday, Patrick found one that was just what we’ve been looking for. We needed something round or square in order to allow more room between the footstool and the table. The new table has a really heavy top, and a kitschy, modern starburst pattern in the middle. It was priced at $9.99, but Patrick had a 30% off coupon that he used.

I must say, however, that this was quite possibly the grossest thrift store purchase that I’ve ever cleaned. The entire table was coated in a layer of dust and dirt, and I won’t even describe what the underside of the top looked like, for fear that our friends would never sit in our living room again. I’ll just say that as I was washing it (and bleaching it), it smelled like cat pee. To make matters worse, there was a sticker adhered to the table top with listings for cable TV stations, which makes me assume that it once resided in a hotel. That brings it to a whole new level of yucky!

I removed the sticker, and after a good scrub, the table looks and smells much better. I’m not even afraid to sit my coffee cup on it anymore.