After forty years' hard service, this table had lost a leg and acquired a myriad of scratches and nicks. But half of it had a second life ahead as a graceful console. The best candidate for this project will be a table that's already split in the middle to accommodate a leaf.

Console How-To
If you don't have the perfect table, scour flea markets. Damaged or worn tables will cost drastically less than their pristine counterparts.

1. Unscrew the extension mechanism from the bottom of the table. Remove the part of the table you won't be using.

2. Sand the remaining part, then prime and paint it.

3. Nail or screw a two-by-two-inch piece of wood to the wall at the height of the tabletop so that the edge of the table rests on the wood support.

4. Screw through the top of the table to the wood support; fill the holes with wood filler, and paint over them.