A Farm Table Fit for my Cottage

Our cottage is a case study in patience in making a home. My little farm table is the latest exhibit. 

The hunt for her began last summer.

I previously owned a mid-century rattan table set. We didn’t do a ton of dinner entertaining, but on those rare occasions, I found myself apologizing profusely to my guests for the way we were all crammed together like sardines. Last June, I found another rattan table on Facebook Marketplace that wasn’t quite as old but expanded for more guests. However, the weird position of the legs meant none of the chairs pushed in, so we constantly tripped over chair legs that stuck out oddly. Pretty quickly, I began hunting for another table. 

I knew I wanted:

• Something older
• Something rectangular in shape
• Something without leaves
• Something without ornate legs
• Something that wouldn’t leave me needing to sell a body part to afford it

One of the things I’m continuing to learn in this little cottage journey is that patience is the most important ingredient. So many tables seemed like “the right one” along the way that I nearly “settled” more than few times. It’s a personal choice, for me, to push back against instant gratification. Some of the loveliest things in this old cottage have been borne of waiting, of having time to really see what doesn’t work and to dream about what will.

Already, dinners around this table seem sweeter. Whether it’s the patina of the tabletop reminding us to embrace each other’s imperfections or the space we now have that quietly encourages us to invite others in, I can already feel that something is wonderfully different about gathering here.

It’s even inspired me into a sort of “challenge.” At least one night a week, I plan to cook a meal with the “fancy” dishes, the linen napkins, and real, polished place settings. I’m calling it “Project Pretty Meal.” This week, I plan to fancy up our crockpot chicken pot pie with a cozy tablescape for my little family. You’ll have to follow along on my social media channels for peeks!

Cheers from the cottage,

Colleen