DIY Farmhouse Table

This past weekend I tackled a DIY project I'd been wanting to do for a while. In our home, we have an eat-in kitchen area as well as a room for formal dining. When we first moved into this house, the formal dining room was initially a catch-all room for boxes and things that didn't have a place yet. It later turned into an office and is now currently functioning as our playroom.

The eat-in area we have is large enough for an average kitchen table. We've been using the table Chris had in his house during college (which was also the table his older brother had in college). Needless to say, it is a much-loved kitchen table that has seen a lot. Amazingly, it has also survived the test of time.

After we were married, I painted the entire table black. It was initially a red walnut colored top with green legs. On my previous blog, I shared how I painted it black.

It's been almost eight years since I painted the table and it has held it's own. Earlier this year, I repainted our dining area to brighten up the room. The all black table looks great in the space, but I've been wanting a wooden table top for a while now. So this past Saturday, during nap time, my husband and I took the table outside and I got started!

Used:
Dewalt Orbit Sander
Sanding Discs
Varathane Water-Based Polyurethane
Varathane Wood Stain - Dark Walnut
Sponge brushes
Paper cloths

To Do:
I initially wiped down the table to get rid of any extra food (or paint or markers) that might be on it from our daily activities that happen at this table. Then I started sanding. I went through about five different sanding discs and it took about two hours to get then entire top completely sanded. Periodically through sanding and after it was complete, we'd use a high power blower to get the sanded particles off the table. I also did a thorough wipe-down after all the sanding was finished. This gave a smooth, clean surface for staining.

I used a straw (instead of shaking) to stir the stain to avoid bubbles. To stain the table top, I dipped my sponge brush directly into the can and worked in small sections of the table. I'd stain about a 12"x12" space, then used the paper cloth to rub it in and remove the excess. I worked my way up and down the table, brushing the stain with the grain of the wood. Check out the application instructions for the stain you use for wait time between coats. I loved the look of only one coat on my table, so a second coat wasn't necessary.

After I achieved the stain color I wanted and it had adequate time to dry, I applied the polyurethane sealer. I used a matte finish because I wanted my table to appear more rustic and natural. There are options for satin, semi-gloss, and gloss if you prefer that look instead. Something I also liked about the matte finish was that brush strokes weren't visible. I'm a bit of a perfectionist with these kind of projects and it was nice to not have to make sure all my strokes were perfect!

*Water-based was a bit more expensive, but lower odor - and worth it. 

*Don't be alarmed that the sealer goes on with a white film - it will dry clear. 

About six hours later I applied a second coat of sealer. After that was completely dry, we put it back in the house. It's recommended with this particular sealer to wait three days before the table is back to full use, so we've only been using he table for meal time and I have been putting a towel over the table when we eat (but I remove it immediately after we finish so that no particles from the towel effect the sealer). So we've got about one more day before the table will be back to full working order!

When I began the project, after sanding and staining the top, I thought I'd also repaint the legs white and do some distressing. After the staining was complete, I actually really liked the black legs we already had. I am still torn at this point - so I've put the table back in the house with the black legs and I'll leave it that way for a couple weeks. After that, if I still want to paint/distress, then I'll go for it. If I keep the black, I'm considering painting the two end chairs from black to white. So it's definitely not a completed project, but still in progress.

I already had the sander and sanding discs from prior projects (within the first two years of moving into our house, I painted every. single. cabinet. in our house!) so I only had to purchase the stain, sealer, and sponge brushes. Y'all, this was a $30 kitchen table make-over and took less than 24 hours!