Our Garage Sale Table
After (above) Before (below)
doesn't look a whole lot different, but it is.
My previous table was one I had in my tiny apartment before we got married and it was falling apart..... REALLY falling apart. If we had guests over and they bumped it with their leg or something, glasses would spill. It even had a tendancy to migrate across the room. :) It was painted and just junk. We needed something bad! By perfect chance, we came across this table and 9 chairs at a garage sale for $25 and picked it up because it's a SCREAMING deal. the top needed work and was an ugly gold color. The chairs didn't match in color to the bottom of the table and you could scrape the previous paint off with your fingernail. It needed tlc but I was encouraged by my friend Tiffany that "we could do it!" My friend and her husband sanded all the chairs, we painted and distressed them and varnished over top. The table was my baby. I stripped the top and sanded it smooth, then worked on the bottom.
I painted, distressed and varnished that too. (Tiff helped with the distressing because I didn't know what I was doing) The top was a little hard because I've never stained anything before. After some help from my dad, it turned out ok. it's dark, but that's what I was going for. I only put three coats of varnish on and now wish I had done more. Maybe I still will. :)
We reupholstered the chairs with micro suede fabric in tan and dark brown for the 2 end chairs.
I was worried that my daughter would ruin the micro suede with her juice, greasy fingers, ketchup, and yes, even pee. (not a fun thing to clean up) I decided to make a few chair covers that had plastic backing and could be thrown in the wash. They turned out different than I hoped, but they work. I wanted the ruffles to lay down better on the sides, but other than that, they are great! I HATE doing ruffles, and these seat covers had the LONGEST i've ever done. grrrrr. It took me all day I swear! aside from the being a mom part, potty training, snuggling and getting us fed. :)
ignore the dirty chair! :) I'm going for country style in my kitchen If I ever get it there! I need help! :)
This project was WAAAAAAY bigger than I thought, but It's rewarding to have worked so hard!