So, here we go again, we have a new face on the block, and one on vacation – so be sure to check out everyone’s very favorite furniture. Link list at the bottom of the post.
I had difficulty choosing my very favorite. I have a number of antique pieces that have been in my family for a VERY LONG time. The ‘first runner up’ to my favorite is a vintage glass front bookcase. It belonged to my Great-Great-Grandfather (who died in 1885) and sat in the living room right next to the fireplace (in this house) when I was a child. It was so close, and fireplace so hot, it’s got a scorched area at the top left. In my house now it sits to the left of my fireplace and holds a LOT of my elephants, books, pictures and ‘stuff’.
It was a difficult choice – but I guess my very favorite is my dining room table. It has quite a history and still looks pretty good for it’s past. Again, belonged to my Great-Great-Grandfather, Ira Foster. He and his family had a large plantation in Georgia prior to the Civil War. He served in the war the Quartermaster General for the state of Georgia. When the Yankees were getting near his house, he loaded a large Chickering piano, and the dining room table (probably other things too) into a wagon and started for Alabama (where he had property).
The wagon was unloaded at a church somewhere along the way, then reloaded and on to Alabama. Eventually this table occupied the dining room in the big house – complete with all it’s leaves. I had no idea it could be turned into a square table.
The table is 52″ square in the above photo. With the 4 leaves it makes a 104″ table (that’s almost 7-1/2 feet). Now, my dining area isn’t really big enough for all four leaves, but I’ve used them a number of times when lots of family is here. The picture below shows my granddaughter at the table just ready for dinner. It will seat 12 comfortably and 14 if you squeeze them in a bit – or maybe even 16. Looks like this was Thanksgiving.
When the table finally came to me it was in terrible shape, literally falling apart. My husband bought oak strips and brass nails, turned the top upside down and put hundreds of screws in to hold it together (the same thing to the leaves). Does it look in perfect shape now? No! But the shape it’s in is perfect for me and I sit at it every day. (See my green cushion in the top picture – makes it more comfty than the wood chair.)
Now, stop my my blogging buddies and find out what their favorite furniture is.
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris Originals Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Leslie at Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After
Sally at Within a World of My Own
I can see why you had trouble choosing!! Both are beautiful pieces and the story behind them– along with their lineage–is so cool and unique. My grandmother also collected elephants, btw, and displayed hers in an open bookcase. There were dozens and they were all arranged by height (Clearly she didn’t mind dusting, haha) and we were allowed to gently touch them to look at each one when we visited. Your Thanksgiving dinner table could be on the cover of a magazine. Yum. I don’t normally like vegetables, but everything looks delicious! Love to think of how many generations and… Read more »
Thanks Em, for your sweet comments. I didn’t cook all that food on the dining room table. One of my DIL’s (who loves to cook and is very good at it) did most of it. And, others pitched in to help her.
Elephants! My house is FULL of elephants. They’re everywhere. I have lots of them out and about, and they have to be dusted too. Not crazy about that task, but most of my elephants have memories attached to them too.
Iris
I love that your pieces have so much HISTORY and that you actually know their stories.
I love a square dining table. And BOY are they hard to find (at larger than 2-seater kitchen table-sized). So that’s quite an item to have! AND it stretches to unheard of lengths?? Wow.
I even love the fireplace scorching the china cabinet has. My carpet with rust stains from the bronze etagere “weeping” when the apartment is so damp in the spring is not nearly as charming.
Thanks for playing!
Bettye
https://fashionschlub.com
You’re right, the scorched portion of the cabinet sure makes it memorable. I’m so pleased that I know the stories behind the pieces. Gotta get back to that book I started so grandkids will someday know.
Iris
That’s incredible that the table can stretch that long. And how wonderful it was made to be in such good shape to use it now.
It’s also crazy that the bookcase got charred from the fireplace. I had to laugh because I thought of you when I put on my elephant brooch this morning. It used to be my aunt’s!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Elephant brooch?!! I need to see that. I do have a few of them, but if yours was your Aunts, I’ll be it’s prettier.
My table has been around a very long time – and still has many, many years left.
Iris
A table with FOUR leaves? That’s an amazing piece, and I enjoyed hearing the history of it.
Thanks Sally, it is a huge table with all the leaves – really too big for my home, but we make it work.
Iris
I’m glad you finally got the table. it has quite a family history. We have a dining room table too that when using the two extra leaves is a bit too large but we do it anyway. Like you, I think it just might be my favorite piece of furniture also, mainly because there have been so many good times at the table.
You’re right Terri, my table has SO MANY MEMORIES. My own family and my grandparents family. I remember sitting on a tall stool at my table when I was just a very little girl, and the entire family being there. Sweet, sweet memories.
Iris