My near and dear (and fellow thrifter) friend Christine did a dining room makeover. I helped her complete the chairs on this project and it was so fun! She also happens to be the mom of 2 adorable 11 month old twins! Can you believe she even has time for this stuff? She's pretty amazing in my book! Welcome Christine!
Hi Before Meets After readers! I am so excited to do my first ever guest post and share my latest DIY project with you all. Let's start from the beginning....
My first dining room table was a massive number from Pottery Barn. Even though I got it at the outlet, it still cost enough money to feed a family of 4 for about a month. Total rip-off! (This was obviously in my less thrifty days!) The table was a huge square and just didn't look right in my rectangular dining room. I immediately regretted the purchase but couldn't return it because of the outlet's return policy. So, it just sat there and haunted me for about a year. We never even used it because I couldn't find perfect chairs for the table-- the PB ones were WAY too expensive and chairs from other manufacturers just looked so puny next to the gigantic table. I finally sold the beast on Craigslist for the same amount I bought it for and breathed a HUGE sigh of relief that it was out of my life forever!
Fast forward a couple months. My parents bought a new kitchen table. Like a hawk, I swooped in for the kill and immediately staked my claim on their old table before my brother got the chance.
The table was the perfect size and shape for my dining room. Rectangular, not too bulky, and complete with 8 chairs. The only problem? This puppy was purchased at Rooms-To-Go circa 1991. The table was worn and scratched. It was stained a lovely orange-ish hue and was heavily varnished, total 90's style. (The kind of table I could totally picture on Full House where DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle are eating breakfast at. Oh, and you can't forget that total hunky Uncle Jesse.) Anyway, not my cup of tea. From the minute it came into my house, all I could think/talk/dream about was painting it. Except sanding, painting, distressing, and poly-ing a big table and 8 chairs? Also not my cup of tea.
After a few months, I decided to bite the bullet and get the thing done. The husband helped me haul the table and chairs out to the garage where I proceeded to set up shop for the next couple of months. It took me FOREVER because I have 11-month-old twins and could only work in one hour increments during their nap time. Trust me, it took every ounce of willpower I had to haul my butt out to the garage to do manual labor during nap time (I really wanted to crash on the couch and eat bon-bons, duh.) First, I sanded the table down to the bare wood. I did the sides and legs by hand and invested in a $29 Ryobi CornerCat for the top. Turns out, the old girl was constructed of gorgeous, hearty pine! Who would have thought that a relatively inexpensive Rooms-To-Go dining set would be the real deal, while my outrageously expensive Pottery Barn table was "finely crafted of mahogany, veneers, and MDF." (I paid WHAT for veneers?!)
Once the table was sanded and the dust removed, I painted the sides and legs with 3 coats of Behr's Cottage White. I sanded the edges with my Ryobi for a more rustic look. I stained the table top with two coats of Dark Walnut Minwax stain and then sealed both the top and legs with two coats of Minwax brand Polycrylic in satin finish (which has less odor and dries faster than Polyeurithane).
We moved the table back into the dining room and I rested on my laurels for about a month, until I could no longer deny the inevitable: our new table was really cool and all, but the chairs were collecting dust in the garage.
Over the next couple weeks, I had the mind-numbingly repetitive task of sanding and painting eight chairs. The first one was fun, but the remaining 7 were a total snoozefest.
Luckily, Lisa and her Ryobi came over to help me do some serious sanding. Once that was done, I painted the chairs with three coats of Behr's Cottage White (same as the table legs), distressed them, and sealed the deal with Polycryclic. I also reupholstered the chairs with a cornflower blue and white buffalo check. Side story real quick: My mother-in-law's reaction to my fabric choice? "I want my casket lined in that!" Morbid, yes. Genious idea? Also yes.
So here, ladies and gentlemen (but probably only ladies), is the finished product. I hope you like it as much as I do!
Gallery Wall frames from Ikea and spray painted! A girl after my own heart!
What do you think? Isn't Christine amazing?? And she got her table for FAH-REEEEE!! I know she would love to hear your thoughts!
Elements Interiors
Wait till you see the plans I have for this dresser! 
