When I came home from the movie yesterday, Matt led me onto the porch to show me his finished surprise!
We got these two pieces of reclaimed wood during porch construction (we were considering involving them but decided not to) and they’ve been sitting in the corner ever since. I asked Matt if he had any ideas on what we could do with them and a coffee table was brainstormed.
I swear he gets handier every day!! I have no idea how he knew how to do this, but the guy loves science and math and made a plan. The feet are pipes from Lowes.
He has promised to give a few more details on assembly in a future post.
It honestly didn’t occur to me until this morning that this would make a perfect food photography stage!!!
I’ve been craving overnight oats all week but every night I was too tired to make them. Last night I forced myself and was so glad I did! SO GOOD!
1/3 cup oats, milk, greek yogurt, 1/2 tbsp chia seeds, pinch salt, pinch cinnamon, half banana, 5 strawberries, all soaked together raw in the fridge overnight.
This morning I topped it off with Uncle Sam (freeze dried strawberry!) and Sunbutter
Hot Oolong tea
On this rainy rainy day, which I am thankful for because it means more blooming is coming!
Happy Weekend!
{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks fabulous!! Nice work, Matt. I’ve been thinking of having Peter build me a rustic looking coffee table for food photos for years now. All our tables are way awkward.
I love that table! I wish I knew how to build furniture..but I have a hard enough time putting together pieces from Ikea :p
That table looks so neat, and how great of Matt to have done it himself! I love the look of reclaimed wood, and the sustainability factor of it! And smart of you to be thankful for the rain. It rained all day here in Chicago yesterday and I was so annoyed! I forget that the rain does such great things and that I should be thankful!
I love that table top! I’m hoping to make something similar and use it for food photography!
Nice work Matt!! My dad makes benches like that a lot. Homemade furniture adds so much to a home!
That table is perfect! I LOVE it!!! …. Way to go, Matt!
You two will enjoy that for years and years to come!
Table looks great, Matt!
I have to once again thank you, Kath. You have inspired so many changes in my life, and each time I stick to making the changes, I feel better. Yesterday I was sending you grateful thoughts all day. I’d gone to the midnight release of Hunger Games (I’m WAAAAYYY to old to do this anymore, but it’s such fun, I just had to go!), and decided to just stay up and go straight to work (another poor, but fun decision). I teach 6th grade Music, and I knew I would need energy, so I whipped up a batch of delicious oats, with energy-boosting mix-ins, all inspired by you, and lo and behold, I made it through a day of singing, dancing, and fun. Thanks so much for reminding me that eating well pays off every day!
Thanks so much Ma! Hope you survived the day!
Great coffee table! He is good!
Your bench looks awesome!!
That is SUCH a beautiful way to use the old wood!!! I love it! And you’re right, it looks gorgeous as a backdrop for food. Happy weekend!
Great table! So handy!
And your oats look awesome, as usual.
I love it! And you know it would be hundreds of dollars at pottery barn!
Table looks great!
My boyfriend’s parents actually have a table sort of like that – I think it’s so cool! Great backdrop for photos too!
The second I saw that table I thought “wow, what an awesome spot for food photos!!” Tell Matt he did an awesome job. I need to find me some old wooden planks!
Wow, the table makes a beautiful background for photos. I’d be interested in hearing more about how he did it!
Nice table indeed. If it were me (and clearly it is not:-)) I would paint the legs. I think it would look super sharp then
I made a table similar to this using an old door. I love the use of galvanized steel plumbing! But may I make a suggestion? I would take the anchors off the bottom and get rubber caps for the legs. You can find them in many sizes at home depot for around .25 a piece.
I just picked up a cookbook at the library based on your review of Jenni’s splended salted caramel ice cream. She has a book and that recipe is in there!
Very cool bench table!!!! Enjoy your weekend!
What a great idea for your reclaimed wood! I should do a bit of scrounging around and see what I can come up with…recycling at it’s best…way to go!
Absolutely gorgeous. And it fits so perfectly with your porch! Must have been made for it
I love anything made from reclaimed wood or other materials; it’s something I grew up with. The interior walls of my family’s house are made of reclaimed barn board, and my dad (a self-taught carpenter) built all kinds of things from old wood and the like.
Hey Kath. I have been a reader for a while now and I just have to ask, do you have any real stresses in your life or things that really, truly bring you down? I am sure “the grass is always greener” saying applies here, but it just seems like everything is so well put together in your life and you are wildly happy and content with your life. If that really is the case, then bless you and please bottle your happiness and sell it to the rest of us! Just a blue day for me I guess, keep up the great blogging.
Yes, absolutely. Bakery problems, financial worries, family drama, bad days. But most of the time it’s just not appropriate for me to blog about.
Oh that is a really nice table and a really great use for that wood!
That table is AWEsome! Seriously, props to him! I love when people use reclaimed wood instead of brand new. Such a better decision for so many reasons! Have a wonderful day, Kath!
That coffee table is sooo cool! You both are very creative people, and I am sure that the baby will be creative as well
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The table looks awesome! My boyfriend is also quite the handy man… I need to make him get busy over the summer! I think it’s a perfect background for the food- it puts that much more emphasis on the food with no distractions!
love the table!! the rustic look is beautiful, especially for a photography backdrop! nice job matt!
Awesome table! We’ve been thinking about making something similar. We’ll have to get hold of wood somewhere though..
Great table makes a Great backdrop!
The very first thing I thought when I saw that was, now she has a built in amazing photography backdrop without doing anything else…it looks fabulous! Props to Matt for masterminding it!
Thanks again Kath for taking the time to meet me yesterday and organize that surprise! I was DEFINITELY surprised
And lunch was great!
Hope you had fun at the Hunger Games last night! Our sushi at Ten was great. We had a calamari tempura that was delicious too!
Thanks for comin’ down! Glad your dinner was good!
I love that table!!! I’m so jealous of your little cute sunny spot!
Early sleep ruined my plan for overnight oats this morning. I should probably start making it as soon as I get off of work becaus anytime after that is free game for bedtime!
Nice work Matt!
Here it is sunny and beautiful–so happy about that
what a nice surprise!
That is so neat that he made that with is own hands!
I think people don’t make things from scratch enough these days..(including me).
It sure is a beautiful to photograph on
I have that very same bowl only mine is pink! I love to eat my oats out of it!
Love love love LOVE that table!
That table is awesome and really does make the PERFECT backdrop for food photog! NICE work Matt!
Great job on the table, Matt! I’ve seen similar pieces in stores for over $500. Amazing what a little piece of old wood and pipes from Lowe’s can do for WAY less than $500.
My husband amazes me with his handiness. He gutted our bathroom and remodeled it all by himself. I never knew he was crafty when I married him!
That was my first thought: Awesome food background!
It seems like every other pin on pinterest uses reclaimed wood. Guess it’s popular! – Matt did a great job putting that table together, it looks awesome!
That is amazing! I immediately thought of how great a photo background that would make. I’ve been trying to convince my husband to help me with a few natural wood backgrounds, so far he’s not so psyched about that though. haha. Love it as a coffee table too!
What an interesting and unique table. I never would have thought to put the old, worn boards on modern, industrial legs. And then to put that on the new porch with all those clean lines…very different! What a great place for oatmeal photography! Those oats look great in the new setting.
Fabulous table! I like the recycled nature of it.
The coffee table is absolutely beautiful! Awesome job Matt! I’m really hoping we’ll get more details on the assembly soon. I would love to build myself one of these :]
Love the table, good job by Matt. But, little fingers might find it a bit rough and a great place to stick their tongue! Just warning you for when baby comes along…..
so clever! you are lucky to have such a handy hubby
What a neat idea for the table!
oh yes…that “i’m SO TIRED is it still worth it to make overnight oats?..” feeling! i go through that nearly every night… but have NEVER ONCE regretted it when morning comes!
great looking table, matt’s quite talented!
That table is SO cool! I can’t wait to read Matt’s post!
Love the table! You are very lucky to have such a handyman for a husband!
I’ve been obsessed with uncle SAMs cereal original on my yogurt lately. Such a good crunch and an awesome ingredient list!
Your man is awesome! That coffee table is fabulous!
Beautiful!
That table manages to fabulously rustic AND modern. GREAT job Matt. Now teach my hubby some thrifty skills!
Love the table. Looks fab on the porch!
You’re right, the table looks great as a background for your food photos! Speaking of overnight oats, I should get mine ready for tomorrow.
Beautiful! Love the table and the creative process
Hi! My name is Lauren and I’m from NJ
I really enjoy checking your blog and am so excited to see you are expecting a baby! Congratulations! Would you mind telling me exactly how you make the overnight oats? I would love to try making them. They sound delicious and very healthy.
Thank you!
-Lauren
Hey Lauren!
Here’s a post on how to make them: http://www.katheats.com/?page_id=3889
Best,
Kath
thanks so much