{Our Farmhouse Dining Table!}

I finally finished our dining room table and benches!

Finally after about 2 years of buying- refinishing- and selling tables, we finally have a dining room table that fits into our tiny space! (That we can all actually fit around and use without having to move it away from that door!)

Our dining room space is so small- it drives me bonkers! But I feel like our kitchen is so big that it makes up for it- and we use our bar about 95% of the time. I've been trying to find a solution for this space for a few years and we went through 3 table and chair sets before building this! 

The plans are from HERE.

I was about to just built it myself- I thought I could handle it! Then The Man rained on my parade and told me it wasn't something I should attempt! So I hired a craftsman to built this for me instead. Thank heavens because he did it in only a couple of days- totally worth the money spent to have him do it for me! I brought it home like this! 

I am completely aware that it looks like a picnic table! But those benches are not attached and it is SUPER comfortable to sit it! I had it made so the benches would fit nice and tight into the table- I needed the extra walking space around the table. 

This is how the finishing went:

1. First I filled all the holes in with paintable wood putty, then gave it all a really good sanding. 

2. Then I stained the top of the table a Dark Walnut Stain- about 3 good solid coats. This is a lot easier than it might seem- I use a old sock, poor the stain onto the wood, and then wipe it really good- until it is no longer wet! I loved how the wood soaked it up and all those grains came through, its beautiful. 

3. Next I taped and covered the top of the table really good- I used a sheet then taped it all down nice and tight! 

4. Then I used my sprayer and sprayed 2-3 good coats of Sherwin Williams Superpaint, White, satin sheen. This paint is worth every penny! It goes on so smooth and dries very hard. That makes it easy to clean and really hard to scratch- it is by far the best paint Ive ever used! (Make sure you look online for a coupon before buying paint from Sherwin- they almost ALWAYS have a coupon online!) 

5. Then after letting it all dry for at least 24 hours I got to do the best part- the seal coat. I use this Zinsser Shellac product, I just wipe it on with a brush. (Tip: Make sure to use CLEAR, otherwise items that are painted White can turn yellow- this has happened to me before!) This stuff immediately makes the wood look so rich and glossy, it also makes it durable to cleaners and scratches! I put on 3 thick coats for extra protection. Making sure to let each coat completely dry before applying the next one. And after I let it sit and dry another day it was finished!

We are in love with the leg details and chunky farmhouse feel- it makes me happy every time I walk into this room. Down the road I might add two ladder back farm style chairs to the sides- but for now I like it just the way it is. 

 Over the last few weeks I have been slowly getting rid of all the reds in my kitchen, while I was painting the table I threw in this hallway bench and painted it white to! It makes that little hallway feel so much cleaner and open. I have this love of all things white and bright. Next is selling all those red items on top of my cabinets- and maybe painting a few of them! 

 Here is the view of the table coming inside from the garage- it feels so much more spacious and bright, I couldn't love it more. 

We have already had a few family dinners on this baby, and it is so nice to be able to sit together and talk at the end of the day. My kids even like setting the table! 

I will add that this cleans up really well, the top is so smooth and wipes down like butter! I am that person that wipes surfaces all.day.long so I wanted to make sure that this wood wouldn't fade after a few wipe downs! So far it is wiping down great!

Look at those legs!