Morning ladies! How have you been lately? Let me just cut things short and say that if you like all things summer, bright, playful and love to have your ice tea by the porch, admiring your freshly painted table you’re in for a treat for I have a table makeover with harlequin pattern, something I have never done before. Best part is, for the longest time, I didn’t even know this pattern had a name and this reminds me of a beautiful conversation with my paternal Granny who, according to me is the DIY queen, my idol. (for the before table pictures, skip below)

If she was born in a time where internet and blogging existed, I am very sure she would have been one of the eminent designers by now. And why I tell you this, I wish I could show you the drapes she made with sarees or the plaster of pairs plaques, the recycled egg cartons and thrown away plastic planters. She was a genius not recognized, but not lost. This time when I travel north, I wish to bring a couple of things she made for me and do a post on it…She is 94, she broke her left hand and cannot move it anymore, she can hardly hear, she sometimes talks to herself but she is still telling me over the phone how to repaint old plastic bottles and keep climbers in them. She also made the yummiest of pastries. Actually, I am very much like her. Her genes have passed to  moi and like her I have a problem. I never rest till I get/achieve what I want or what appeals to me. I cannot leave a project unfinished, it pricks me. If 2 days go by and I don’t tend to it, I get dreams about it. I just have to have it done and my way or else it gives me a weird restlessness. I made a table with thumbtacks but it suddenly struck me that maybe I could bring in her flooring pattern into the new coffee table that Rohan’s mom gifted me. But hello! It’s also in vogue now- its called the Harlequin Pattern. Talk about old is the new, new!

In my grandma’s home, before she moved in with us and we sold it, the floors were all in black and white diamond shaped marble. Honestly, I always liked them and thought they were really cool. I used to put tin soldiers in each one of the squares and make them fight! But in my home, that kinda floor was impossible. Firstly because most of my life I lived in the hills, where wooden planks were the only option. Marbles were a complete no no as it’s very cold. Secondly, when we moved to the plains, tiled flooring is what ma wanted which left me with no harlequin flooring. Sob-sob. Now, I live on rent which means bag full of restrictions hence the closest I could get to my dream pattern is to have a checkered table. So, off goes the thumbtacks except for the mid panel and in comes white paint. Shine on you crazy diamond!

Painting a harlequin pattern can be fun but it’s not as easy as checkered pattern. I did it with duck tapes and here is a pattern that you can use, if you wish to paint your table. I created this in photoshop and then printed it. Next I taped my table following the pattern with a thin tape and painted.

You’ll start with a sqaure. If your table is rectangle, divide it into 2 squares.

Once you have a square, divide it into 4 smaller squares. You can do this freehand or with a measuring tape or ruler.

Now, without diagonally dividing the squares make triangles in each square and shown above. Also, the tip of each triangle should meet the tip of the other. Keep repeating this for each square until you are done drawing all the triangles. You’ll end up with a harlequin pattern.

Here’s a colored view.

Easy?

Here’s how the table was followed by 2 coats of black again.

You can get a worn out look by light sanding or keep it shiny and glossy. Make sure to accentuate your table with bright individual colors like fuchsia, turquoise, yellow or red. If you have a cottage look to your home like mine, throw in some bright flowers in a metal can and some colored hard bind books! They look fantastic.

So will you be making these?

Toodles

Sharing @

Tuesday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia – Tuesday Treasure
Coastal Charm – Nifty Thrifty
Vintage Wanna Bee – Talent Tuesday 

Wednesday

Primp – Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style – Wow Us Wednesdays 

Abeachcottage- Good life wednesdays

Thursday

Beyond the Picket Fence

From My Front Porch To Yours – Treasure Hunt Thursday

The Vintage Farmhouse – Creative Things Thursday 

Friday
The Shabby Nest – Frugal Friday

Finding Fabulous – Frugalicious Friday 

At the Picket Fence – Inspiration Friday

saturday

http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/love-it-like-it-link-it/love-it-like-it-link-it-7/

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.in/2012/04/sat-nite-special-130-link-party.html

Sunday

Sunday’s Best

20 thoughts on “Before and After, Harlequin tabletop tutorial, Remembrance & Old is the new, new!”

  1. Rukmini, I love the table you painted! The graphic harlequin pattern is so unique.

    I especially love the story about your grandmother. I wish I could meet her.

    Thanks for joining the DIY Talent Parade!

    1. Thank you Brittany 🙂 Yes, my grand ma was a DIY pioneer in our house. She was just so ahead of her time…I am so happy you stopped in.

  2. Your grandma sounds like a wonderful woman! The table looks great, but what I really like is the second photo – the close-up of the plums in the jar reflecting in the high-gloss paint on the table.

  3. This is my favorite post of yours. I love the table and harlequin patterns but I especially love the story of your granny. Mine is also 94 and I love her dearly.

    1. There is so much to learn from them Tammy….I sometimes just wonder how talented she is. Thanks for the vote of confidence 🙂 I started to think no one read this post of mine…

  4. I so loved reading about your Granny, she sounds like a wonderful woman who you learned so much from! You must think of her often, and now when you see your harlequinn tablel you will think of her more often. My Grannies have been gone for over 30 years, and my Mom for 17 year. Memories are little bits of our hearts that hold them dear and near to us. Love you table! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration over at Sunday’s Best!

    1. Hi Cathy! Yes, you know, I did learn so much from her- at every step…now, every now and then I feel a lurch within me whenever I think she wont be there after a couple of more months. I shudder at the thought that one day I’ll have to bid goodbye to my ma…but yes, like you said, memories are what keeps them alive, always. Or even our blogs…”So long lives this, this gives life to thee” our dear ol Shakespeare!

    1. Hello nancy! Thank you so much for dropping in. Well, yeah, they say the genes skipped a generation and showed in me. I’m very much like her 🙂
      Off to your blogs now

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