Big Goals and a Sweet Drum Table

I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing right now than sitting on my cozy antique velvet sofa, in my cozy antique Connecticut cottage, watching the fire crackle happily, sipping a TOP NOTCH gray goose martini (dry and dirty, three olives) and writing up this blog post to share with you.

          I gotta be honest. I'm happy. Really, truly, sincerely happy. And I am not, as a rule a happy person, at least I wasn't for most of my life. But maybe I am now, because I spent 98% of 2016 extraordinarily happy, now that I think back on it. I mean, sure there were some sob fests, and some drunken temper tantrums that at 32 I'm really getting too old for, but mostly, this was a divine and placid year. And I have SO much hope for the new year. 2017 is gonna be THE year. The year where I get my own show. Isn't that a silly dream? It's probably so far out of my reach, but goddamn if I'm not trying my hardest and, dare I say, starting to make some tentative progress.

           But more than anything else, It's the work that makes me happy. The work has been good lately. I've been so busy I hardly know what to do, and I love nothing more than walking into my workshop each morning, giant mug of coffee in hand, and starting a day knowing just what needs doing. I love my job. I love that I can paint, and write, and research, and take pictures, and stage things, and listen to books while I do it. I feel so lucky to be able to have found the one job that includes all the slices of weirdness that make for a happy Kate sandwich. Thank you all, both clients and readers, and those of you who don't read and just scroll down to look at the pictures (they're the noodleheads, but they won't know I said that cause they're scrolling riiiiiiight by this). Seriously though, thank you. When I someday get my own HGTV show and I'm a mega star, I'll buy each and every one of you a drink.

              But enough martini-induced fluff. HOW ABOUT THIS TABLE?!?! This table kicks ass. It's a great table. 1940s, mahogany and mahogany veneer, Federal in style though we never saw this form in American first period (1790-1820) antiques. It's absolutely terrific, a little pistol of a table, and with great original lion's head drawer pulls and furry paw brass feet to boot! The client selected Benjamin Moore's "Iced Slate" for the color, which I liked so well I'm working on a sideboard in the same color as we speak...well not literally as we speak. We opted to brighten the original hardware up with a bit with rub-n-buff, distressed the case lightly, and refinished the top, not greatly changing the original mahogany shade, but brightening it up a bit.