Farmhouse Table Complete

I've been dying to own a rustic farmhouse table for what seems like forever. I love the charm and rustic appeal they bring to a space. Farmhouse tables are not cheap however. I've seen prices from $600 to upwards of a $1000. That is just not in this girl's budget, especially with 3 kids at private school this year. I've been eyeing DIY plans for one over at Ana White's blog for over a year. Why I waited so long to take the plunge is beyond me. I think I was nervous and I wanted to make sure the hubby was on board. After selling off a bunch of kid stuff this summer during the great summer clean out, I finally had enough money to get the lumber.

Let me just say there is nothing like the smell of fresh cut lumber. We purchased the lumber at one of the big box stores and my husband cut the lumber with his table saw. You can have them cut the lumber for you at the store, but I wanted to make sure we were as accurate as possible so we decided to cut the lumber ourselves. The lumber along with screws, a countersink drill bit, wood glue, wood putty, sand paper, stain and a brush was just under $130. Much more budget friendly.

We used the plans found here minus a couple of modifications (like not using a middle stretcher):  http://ana-white.com/2013/04/plans/happier-homemaker-farmhouse-table . The size was perfect for our smallish space while still giving us plenty of room for the 5 of us to spread out. It took about 2 weeks to build. We started with gluing the end stretchers and letting them sit for 48 hours. We only have 2 large clamps so we had to work in sections.

And yes, we built it in the kitchen. Our garage is too full of other "projects" there just isn't enough space. It ended up working out just fine though.

For the top, I picked out the lumber with the most knots and rustic charm I could find. After we built it, we moved it outside so we could sand and stain. I used a stain and poly in one which I hadn't used before. It went on really well and wasn't as runny as a traditional stain. I chose a Dark Walnut color to match with other pieces I have done in the house. It took 3 coats to achieve the color I was going for. The stain dried relatively quickly and I did end up applying 2 additional coats of wipe-on poly to the top just for added protection from my 3 kids.

I also refinished the farmhouse benches that came with our old table. The tops were in bad shape and were not the right color. The cherry colored top just wasn't working. I bought more lumber and built the new tops. Here's a before:

And here's an after (before I painted the bases white):

I love how the bench tops and table tops match now.

This table is everything I had envisioned and more. It will be treasured in this house for years. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge. It looks fabulous in the room...now to redo my kitchen cabinets and the space will be perfect!

Thanks for stopping by!
Shara Pin It

A Dining Table Gets A Face Lift

I've had this table sitting in my garage for months. I been toying with several ideas of what I wanted it to look like and finally decided to give it a go.

I love this table because it has a hidden leaf that stores under the table when not in use. this is so handy because you don't have to find a space in the garage or under a bed to store the extra leaf. I originally had a couple of ideas in mind. Plan A and B involved stenciling the top similar to my previous dining table make over but that ended up not working due to the size of the hidden leaf. Working around that I set off to work on Plan C which was to paint the legs and top in two different colors. I wanted the top to be all white while the legs and base stayed a different color.

Well, Plan C eventually evolved into Plan D as the edges of the table had a bit of water damage and the discoloration was showing through even after using primer. So, to remedy that problem, I brought the darker color up onto the top. I seriously love how this turned out. It looks even better than what I had imagined. It feels so retro chic! I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White and Duck Egg Blue for this make over.

I was originally going to sell this piece but I think it's a keeper (for now anyway). I can't wait to redo my dining benches and get a couple of industrial chairs to make this the perfect piece for my kitchen. I love when things all come together in an unexpected way.

Happy Crafting,

Shara Pin It

New Craft Counter

My craft room/computer room/loft has been in dire need of a more useful space for storage and a dedicated space for working on projects instead of using the kitchen table. My craft projects have taken over and I needed to find a solution.

Here's my utterly messy craft space before:

I couldn't find anything. My craft cabinet and craft table where packed full. This area isn't very big so I need to pack a punch. Enter Pinterest. I saw this pin a while back and it got the wheels turning. I decided to start hunting down 2 drawer file cabinets. Couldn't be that hard, right? Well, lets just say that I hit up every thrift store in a 10 mile radius with no luck. I finally found a large lot on CL and jumped in. 

I started by spray painting the fronts and the sides that would be visible with Rustoleum Aqua spray paint (my most favorite color). I then took a lot of measurements and hit up the Depot for some plywood. I had the guys in the orange aprons cut down the wood to my specifications and the hubster loaded it in the car for me. We got it home and started by attaching the casters to the base piece. I used 8 casters. They were not very cheap so it kind of defeated the thriftiness of the project but I wanted the added height to the counter so I could stand or sit at a bar stool to work. 

The casters are totally awesome so I guess I shouldn't complain about their cost! Anyway, all the file cabinets that I found were varying heights and lengths.  So we had to build up each of the shorter ones to match the tallest one. We did this by cutting extra plywood and screwing it into the base piece. 

Here's the hubs helping me build the bases. 

Once they were all level, the next step was to stain the top.

We used a maple/birch veneered plywood. It had a gorgeous grain to it. I used my favorite dark walnut stain and set to work. 

Here it is all ready to be poly'd. It took the stain great. I did 3 coats to achieve the desired color. 

 After that my hubby cut down the trim pieces and we attached it with out nail gun. The final step was painting and cutting the base molding to hide the varying layers of plywood under the cabinets.

Here is the finished product. I love the size and the amount of storage. I can spread out and work on crafts without having to clean up every time we need to use the kitchen table. What do you think? In total, this project cost just under $200 for all the supplies. If I hadn't have gotten the casters, I could have saved over $50 dollars. Not too bad for a custom built craft cabinet.

Now I just need to work on a gallery wall for above it and this 1/2 of the craft room will be complete. Then I need to do something to the other half. Stay tuned for that project!

Happy Crafting,

Shara

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Getting Back Into It

Blogging has been one of my outlets for several years now. I always tried hard to keep up with posting new and fun content but after awhile, I just needed to step back and take a break. I put a lot of projects on the back burner these past few months and I have just been in a funk for a bit. I was having some health issues and lack of focus and I was just in an all around bad mood most of the time. But things are changing...I'm feeling so much better and so much more focused and ready to have some fun again! So, come and join me in this adventure. I'm sure you'll have fun and hopefully get some inspiration!

I am ready to reignite my creative juices and start working on all the projects I have piled up in my garage and craft room and Pinterest inspiration boards! My first project that I want to share with you is a sweet little table that I redid for a friend. She wanted to turn her 80's looking oak table into something with a WOW factor for her new kitchen. She wanted me to gray wash it so the beauty of the grain would show through. This technique really gives a fun and modern update.

Gray washing is a great beginner project. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite. I took some of the paint and mixed it with water giving it a really runny texture. I then brushed it on and wiped away the drips. I never really measured how much paint to water ratio I used so each layer was slightly different adding to the character of the table.

I love how it turned out! I can't wait to see it in it's new home. I hope Rebekah loves it as much as I do!

Have you ever gray washed or white washed something? It is really easy and turns out great. You should try it sometime. Stay tuned for more fun projects...

Shara


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From Drab to Fab: A Table's New Life

This solid wood pedestal dining table came from my friend Heather. It is a well built piece but it definitely had seen better days. The top was in need of some serious sanding. I sanded it down to remove the scratches and flaky varnish. I decided to use Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint to paint the base of the table. I originally thought Louis Blue but changed to Paris Gray instead.

After applying 2 coats, slightly distressing it,  and sealing it with wax, I painted the top of the table with chalkboard paint. It transforms a boring table into a fabulous homework, art, game table. The size is perfect for a small space and I'm still trying to decide if I'll keep it or not. I love how it turned out. There are so many possibilities with this table.

So, what do you think?

Have a crafty week,

Shara Pin It