Here it is, our big farmhouse table that Neal built us and I couldn't be happier with it! I've always wanted a big rustic table for everybody to sit around and we finally have it. I hope to someday find the perfect antique one but until that day this one will do just fine.
I was determined to make ours look old and started by giving Eli a hammer and grabbing my crowbar. We then got busy hitting the table top, Eli got the biggest kick out of the fact that he was allowed to hit the furniture with a hammer. After I felt it looked damaged enough I stained the top with one coat of Minwax Dark Walnut stain. The legs and aprons are painted Martha Stewart's Bone Folder.
Then I applied a heavy coating of Minwax Finishing Wax on the areas that I wanted to be able to easily sand, mainly the areas that a table would have extra wear like the edges.
Then I painted the table top with multiple coats of the Bone Folder not letting any of the stain show through. After it had thoroughly dried I used my mouse sander to distress the paint. I still need to apply a coat of polycrylic to the top but my picture taking window is very small these days so I figured it could wait.
It was funny because I knew I wanted a big long bench for the one side of the table but figured I would have to scour the flea market or have Neal build us one. But lo and behold on my way home from the grocery store on the weekend that Neal built the table I spotted this white bench for sale on the side of the road.
When I pulled into the driveway of the house where the bench was for sale I decided to myself that $30 was the maximum I would pay for the bench. No one came outside so I called the number on the bench and just as I was leaving a message a lady came outside. She said she wanted $40 for the bench and I told her I didn't want to spend that much. Disappointed I got back into my car. On the drive home I started to think why didn't I just buy it for the $40, what's $10 right? What if I never saw the right bench again, one that was already shabby and white? But I really try to stick to the price I get in my head because it keeps me from overspending and then hating myself for it later. All I could do was hope that no one else came along and bought the bench for $40 and that the nice lady would call me back accepting my offer, I knew she had my phone number because I had left it on my message. Well I guess the bench was meant to be ours because she did call me back accepting my offer of $30!
I wanted the table to be large enough for a lot of people to be able to sit at it and still have room for food or a board game in the center. We had everyone here for Halloween and we had plenty of room for all of the food. For now I have an old tool caddy in the center to hold our salt and pepper, napkins and silverware. The ironstone pitcher is a gift from my mom, she took me antique shopping to one of my favorite shops Romantique Boutique and to dinner for a belated birthday celebration. Millie was born the week of my birthday so we weren't able to do much then. Neal likes to joke that the week of Millie's and my birthday will forever be an expensive one for him:)
And some pictures of the family room just because the sunshine coming in today is so pretty.
I mentioned a few months ago that we had started working on the small bathroom between the kitchen and dining room, well that was put on the back burner for a while. However, I have finally been able to get back to working on it. While Millie naps I have been taking down the plaster and lathe and you know how I love demo work! As far as I am concerned there is nothing better than making the gross go away! I will keep you updated on our progress, hopefully this weekend we will get the tub out of here.
