She's a beaute....Farmhouse Table Reveal

I have been meaning to post about this for a LONG time but have been too busy enjoying the table to actually take pictures of it. This all started when we came across some plans on Ana White's website. (I'm sure I have recommended her plans before, but if I haven't, here goes....She offers plans for all sorts of wooden furniture FOR FREE. So, if you haven't checked her stuff out, just click on the link above.)

Anyways, we found a couple of farmhouse table plans we really liked but I wanted to incorporate the legs from my grandmother's old table into this one. Mike ended up making his own plans and came up with this! I love it, and he did such a great job! He made the legs look like they were made for this specific table, and the distressed plank top is amazing! Ok, I'll stop now.....I'm starting to gush.

Here's a close up of the legs. He built the white long piece which, I think, totally ties in the legs.

And here's one with the chairs on one side so you can see how many people we can actually fit at the table. We can fit 5 chairs on each side (and eventually more on the bench side). I think the table measures 8 feet. It's a squeeze for our small dining/breakfast nook area but I absolutely love how much more table room it gives us. I can be working on something one one end while the kids color on the other end with PLENTY of room to spare. We should be able to fit everyone for our family gatherings now. (Oh, and I STILL haven't gotten to that last chair. Someday.)

Oh, and I forgot to mention, as if the mere making of a table for me wasn't enough, M surprised me with it by making it while I was on a week-long trip out of town. He spent all of his spare time working on this for me while taking care of the kids and all the household duties. I feel loved and very spoiled. Thanks M!

Old to You. New to Me.

M and I (ok fine, it's been mainly me) have had a plan of making a farmhouse table for a while. The chairs from our old table were oversized, and I have endured sitting on them while eating meals, with my feet not being able to touch the floor, for 7 years now. (And I am pretty average height, just shy of 5'4") I was getting tired of the whole legs falling asleep thing but didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for new ones. Well, to be honest, I wanted to pay the least possible for chairs that would actually be sturdy enough to someone without collapsing.

SO.....I began my search.

I looked on Craigslist, yard sales, and local thrift stores. It actually took a lot longer than I thought. And I wasn't even very picky about the chairs since I was going for the whole not matching thing anyway. FINALLY, I found 2 matching chairs (I was aiming for 5 total, since we are going to make a bench for the other side) at a thrift store for $10 each! And I LOVE the shape of the back. So, I repainted, distressed and covered the chair cushions (which I IMMEDIATELY scotch-guarded as well. I failed to do this last time which was a BAD idea with two toddler boys and all their mess. Needless to say, I didn't want to ruin these).

I forgot to take a BEFORE picture, but here is the final product!

So, 2 down, only

Then, my mom called me one day and said she found 3 more chairs. One that looks almost identical to the one above for $7 and 2 (pictured below) for $9 each. Yes please!

Here is the before of the chairs. Again, very sturdy but not exactly the look I was going for.

And here is the AFTER picture. The green is actually the same green as the above chair, the yellow nighttime lighting just makes it look a little weird.

This style may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love the look and it was done for MUCH cheaper than buying them new or even used ones in great condition.

I have yet to paint the 5th chair, but I'll post a picture as soon as I do.

By the way, I used the same process of distressing as I did for the dresser in our living room (including the wax coat). It can be found HERE if you are interested.

{ SIDE NOTE: All of these projects have not been completed over the last couple of weeks. Rather, these are projects were completed as early as the beginning of the summer. Just FYI }