Ironing Board Beauty

Ahhh, the wooden ironing board.  A staple of rustic decor everywhere.  I was thrilled to find this one in a local thrift store still covered with its fabric padding, and I snatched it up hoping that the padding had protected its wooden top all these years.

Pictured with my other goodies!

After what was practically an excavation of cloth covers and fabric layers, I finally found a pristine wood base!

I count seven layers!

But the fun part of this stripping back was finding the original manufacturer's label! 

This ironing board was manufactured by the J.R. Clark Company in Minneapolis, and dates to the 1930s.  Anyway, back to the redo!

Because the ironing board is in such good condition, with just a few nicks on the legs, I very lightly sanded it with a fine grit sandpaper, and applied danish oil all over.  The most sanding I did was on the top which was pretty smooth but raw wood, and which did not have an aged patina that needed to be saved because it had been covered by the ironing board cover.  The oiled finish gives the wood a hydrated look, silky feel, and a subtle richness.