My Kitchen Table: Before and After...and After

The husband has a friend whose wife we love to quote. She...well, I guess you could say has a chronic case of "foot-in-mouth" disease. I could make you laugh for a while repeating some of the one-liners we have from her, but that's not what you're here for.

One of our favorites has been running through my head the last couple of days. In defending herself from feeling stuck-up and materialistic, she proclaimed "I'm not stuck-up, I just like nice things." Oh that's all?! I must just like crappy stuff I guess.

My love for crappy stuff was VERY apparent in our kitchen table for the past, long while. We bought it used 6 years ago and time has not been kind. It was counter-height and esspresso- all the rage 6 years ago! I've been wanting a table we can seat more than just our little family at for a long time, plus, I was really over this beat up thing. The only photo I could find was the "mugshot looking" craigslist photo I took before I kissed it goodbye.

(I stole the other 2 chairs to replace the gross barstools)

After patiently looking on Craigslist I found this table and 4 chairs for $70! It was in pretty good shape, just dirty and outdated.

Although it has room for 6, and a leaf to allow 2 more seats, sadly it only came with 4 chairs. At least it had enough butt-space for us until I came up with a better solution.

First step was to lose the yellow-stained wood and give the base a new coat of paint. I sprayed a custom mixed, bone colored latex over the frame of the chairs and table. The top of the table and seats I had to use something special. There was NO WAY I was going to strip and sand those contoured seat tops! So, I decided to use PolyShades.

PolyShades is basically a oil-based, tinted polyurethane. It's sold alongside the stain, but it's not really a stain. I've used it before and it's not my favorite product, but it doesn't have one awesome quality. It can be applied over an existing finish! Yes, that means you don't have to strip down to the bare wood to be able to darken the stain! It is translucent, so the surface needs to be in decent condition, otherwise the defects will still show through. And, It may require 3-4 coats to get the color intensity on darker colors. My local store doesn't carry the "Tudor" color, so I had to make do with Bombay Mahogany with a fair amount of Raw Umber universal tint mixed in. It still was a bit too red.

Another thing to keep in mind, the label claims "Color and top coat in one finish". Although that technically may be true, I would ALWAYS recommend a couple additional coats of a protectant. The reason being, the color is in the finish, so if you scratch your finish, it takes off the color in that spot and you can see the previous color underneath. A couple layers of clear coat protect the color.

After everything was sealed with 3 coats of PAS, here was the first "After".

(look at those sexy legs!)

It's pretty...but that's the problem. It's too pretty for me. (Remember I like crappy stuff?) Plus, I'm still trying to "de-old lady" the place, and the matching table/ chair combo wasn't helping with that. That's where these 2 large boxes come into play. I came home today to find these beauties on my door step! I can't tell you how excited I am!

Let me start by saying that I have not bought a single piece of new furniture or home decor in 6 years! Honestly. I'm thinking about it and sure, I've got some "new to me" pieces that I love but until today, I have not had anything new in my house since I've been married (when we splurged and bought the slouchy, $600 Ashley sofa set, and $40 Target bookshelf you see in my house today). I either built or inherited everything else. In fact, I don't think I ever had a piece of new furniture growing up. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with used stuff! In fact, I love the patina and age you sometimes get on old pieces that new can never reproduce. Plus, like they say "they don't build things like they used to".

But I have been dreaming of Tabouret chairs for it seems like forever. These chairs to be specific.

I also have been saving my pennies and shopping around for what seems like forever. Last weekend was finally the time! I flanked out $440 for 8 Tabouret Stacking Chairs in "Vintage". I only needed 6, but they only come in groups of 4 (bummer). So I ordered to sets and listed the 2 spares on craigslist. I love when they are paired with a farmhouse table. I like the look of the World Market tub chairs better but for half the price, I went with Overstock's version. Maybe, one day I'll be brave and paint them a bright, glossy color.

I saddled them up to the table and here is the second "After".

(Ignore the odd green color in the photo. They are definitely gunmetal color)

My husband hates them, and I'm pretty sure most people will. I guess they don't have "the vision" ha ha. The table top is all wrong. I need something rustic, something planked, to work with the whole modern-farmhouse look I'm going for. I've got big plans for that soon.

What do you think of my new chairs and new-ish table? Either way, I love them.

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