My Summer Project

Happy Monday Ya'll!

So here's a not-so-great picture of our table and chairs. This table and chairs were a hand-me-down when we moved to Washington some years ago. It has served us well. The top is wood-looking laminate. The chairs are the super knobbly-look from the 80's (I think the eighties). I've been ready for a fresh look for some time now. Doug has really wanted to try his hand at table building too. There are a number of great-looking table building tutorials out there. And not expensive either. But it wasn't going to happen this year. Pinterest girl that I am, I've noticed a number of people redoing old, outdated tables/chairs and coming out with some nice-looking products. Recycling and reusing at its finest. I decided to just jump on in!

So here's what I did. I used coat after coat of Polyshades from Miniwax on the tabletop. This is a mix of Polyetherane and stain. I didn't find it easy to work but then I am very, very new at refurbishing furniture and working with wood. It's a long story but the top ended up darker than I had planned due to mess-ups that I was trying to fix. I finished the table with several coats of Quick Dry Poly.  

The bottom of the table is a chalk paint from a spray can. Rustoleum brand. That brand works nicely for us because have the cheap little attachment that allows for super easy spraying. 

I ditched all the old chairs. Brought them to to St. Vincent de Paul. I'm not a fan of all the knobby lines. So I thrifted out six new chairs. Habitat Restore, St. Vincent de Paul, and Goodwill. The great part of all this is that not only are you reusing/recycling, your money goes to a good cause. 

Some of the chairs are upholstered on the top, some are wood. The white part is Rustoleum's Paint and Primer In One. Love that stuff! The wood is the same product that I used on the table. 

I know, the light colors are not exactly practical with kids but oh well, I like it. I'm not a perfectionist. I enjoy beauty but I don't require perfection at all costs. The finished product is far, far from perfect. There are mistakes all over the place. So don't look too closely. Guess that goes for me too (or all of us for that matter, right?). I'm not perfect but I striving to be the best version my myself.  Lots of imperfection in this jar of clay but at least willing to be instrument in the hands of my Maker.