DIY Adventure

A couple years ago, we bought a dining table and chairs from Amazon (rather cheaply, might I add). We lost a chair a year in. And two years in (now), the other three are wobbling slowly to their deaths.

I've had it in my mind to find solid wood chairs for a long time but hadn't acted on it--until now.

I had an amazing paycheck from my "job"--post to come about that soon. So I felt it an appropriate time to start my chair search.

Did I go to Ashley Furniture Megastore you ask? Heck no. Never again.

Try the Black Swan Flea Market in New Bern. It will change your life.

In the attic of this century-old home cram packed with the most beautiful furniture and antiques I've ever seen sat 4 old solid wood windsor chairs. For $15 a piece. I'll TAKE 'em!

As we were leaving, the owner asked us if we needed a table to go with our new chairs. Well, she ended up selling us a dining table--solid wood Ethan Allen--for $40. YES.

I have never worked with wood...never refinished anything...never really even sanded anything. So it really was anybody's guess how this would turn out.

Can't hurt to try though, right?

At Lowe's I got some sanding blocks, a foam brush, a quart of black flat paint, and a bucket of matte polyurethane.

I sanded until I got the effect I wanted.

I painted the legs black (again).

When they dried, I distressed them.

Then I poly'd the legs and the table--3 coats each.

Time to bring it inside and reassemble! Jonathan had some good help.

And here it is!

The legs turned out beautifully unique.

I'm in love.

I think I've turned into a DIY junkie.



Chairs are next! (Hint: I'm thinking Gumdrop Red and Aqua Blue)