diff --git a/lib/table.js b/lib/table.js
index e6c6dee..4c25092 100644
--- a/lib/table.js
+++ b/lib/table.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Table.define = function(config) {
   return table;
 };
 
-Table.prototype.addColumn = function(col) {
+Table.prototype.createColumn = function(col) {
   if(!(col instanceof Column)) {
     if(typeof col === 'string') {
       col = { name: col };
@@ -31,19 +31,39 @@ Table.prototype.addColumn = function(col) {
     col = new Column(col);
   }
 
-  if(this[col.name]) {
+  return col;
+};
+
+Table.prototype.addColumn = function(col) {
+  col = this.createColumn(col);
+
+  if(this.hasColumn(col)) {
     throw new Error('Table ' + this._name + ' already has column or property by the name of ' + col.name);
+  } else if(!!this[col.name] && (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test')) {
+    console.log('Please notice that you have just defined the column "' + col.name + '". In order to access it, you need to use "table.getColumn(\'' + col.name + '\');"!');
   }
   this.columns.push(col);
-  this[col.name] = col;
+  this[col.name] = this[col.name] || col;
   return this;
 };
 
+Table.prototype.hasColumn = function(col) {
+  col = this.createColumn(col);
+
+  var cols = this.columns.filter(function(column) {
+    return column.name === col.name;
+  });
+
+  return cols.length > 0;
+};
+
 Table.prototype.getColumn = function(colName) {
-  var col = this[colName];
-  if(!col) {
+  var col = this.createColumn(colName);
+
+  if(!this.hasColumn(col)) {
     throw new Error('Table ' + this._name + ' does not have a column named ' + colName);
   }
+
   return col;
 };
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 41b2c74..f7fe701 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   },
   "main": "lib/",
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "./node_modules/.bin/mocha"
+    "test": "NODE_ENV=test ./node_modules/.bin/mocha"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": "*"
diff --git a/test/table-tests.js b/test/table-tests.js
index 575b960..e3f2ab5 100644
--- a/test/table-tests.js
+++ b/test/table-tests.js
@@ -97,3 +97,24 @@ test('table with dynamic column definition', function() {
 
   assert.equal(table.columns.length, 1);
 });
+
+
+test('hasColumn', function() {
+  var table = Table.define({ name: 'foo', columns: [] });
+
+  assert.equal(table.hasColumn('baz'), false);
+  table.addColumn('baz');
+  assert.equal(table.hasColumn('baz'), true);
+});
+
+test('the column "from" does not overwrite the from method', function() {
+  var table = Table.define({ name: 'foo', columns: [] });
+  table.addColumn('from');
+  assert.equal(typeof table.from, 'function');
+});
+
+test('getColumn returns the from column', function() {
+  var table = Table.define({ name: 'foo', columns: [] });
+  table.addColumn('from');
+  assert(table.getColumn('from') instanceof Column);
+});