8.15.2010

The Gardner Barnwood Table and Dining Set - Before & After

Before Our dining room has been a project for quite some time now. This is what it looked like before we started making changes. I loved this hutch until I found our new Gardner Hutch. So we took the old one and painted it black and sold it to completely finance the changes we made.
I always loved these ladder back chairs with the little spindles at the top of each chair. I had always planned on keeping these and nothing has changed thus far. However, sometime in the future I would like to find two all wood chairs and pull out two of these. I like an assortment of chairs around a table.
During
We had a client who was looking to get rid of this barnwood table and asked us if we wanted it. When she sent me the picture of it I could not believe it because I had been looking for one just like it. I was super excited. Plus the round table gives us so much more room. Way more than I expected. And because we are pretty full in our little home - this was a huge bonus!
So against one wall we had the Gardner Hutch that we finally got to finish after six months of other projects and custom refinishes. Behind the table is Brooke's buffet. It sat there for a few months until we found out we were doing the show and it was moved to its new home.
After

The plan with the table was to paint the legs white and distress quite heavily. Doing this provided so much dimension to the set. Before you hardly noticed the legs and now they are somewhat of a focal point! I had been anxious to cover up the yellowish hint in the chairs and give it a fresh clean coat of white!

Mike cleaned up the table by restaining it and lacquering it to provide an extra durable finish. It looks brand new in its old barnwood way. :)
To match the white legs we painted the chairs white; however, we only lightly distressed them. I made a few trips to the store looking for new fabric for the chairs. I decided for now to leave them as is. We had recovered them last summer so I did not feel an urgency. Plus this darker chocolate color holds up better with seven of us eating around the table anyway.
I love spindled legs. And I think the legs on the table match up nicely with the legs on the chairs. In our house, not everything has to match. I rather like some randomness but these compliment each other nicely. The little farmhouse recipe books were .99 pounds and I picked them up years ago when I visited Hampton Court in England. I love little keepsakes like these. And if I found something like this at a garage sale I would probably buy it. I told Mike the other day - I think I treasure people's keepsakes more than they do. I said this as we were walking away with a sweet little rocking chair we got from a man who said his mom raised him in the chair. My first thought was - then why are you selling it to me for $10? It is super sturdy and will looking amazing once it has a fresh coat of paint on it. We are very pleased with our new dining area and even more happy we were able to do it at no cost.

Next up we are finished with our new desk. The transformation is stunning!

I linked to:
HOG Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special

29 comments:

michelle said...

Melanie those turned out so beautiful!!!! That table is gorgeous!!! I think that you are as sentimental as I am. Why would you get rid of something that has a special meaning? They should be happy that you purchased it because you are going to give it new life while still holding on to it's memories! I hope you had a great weekend!!

Korrie@RedHenHome said...

I *love* your table. I keep looking at barnwood on KSL and wondering if I have what it takes to make a table for myself! With yours as inspiration...I may attempt it one day.

Cassie Bustamante said...

melanie- it looks great! i love that table, too- what a nice surprise from a client! looks like agreat place to enjoy meals with your family.

Holly @ Roller Coaster Life said...

I loove this! A lot!! I can't wait to paint our table.. again!!

KimMalk said...

Your refinished table looks great and I see why you wanted to swap hutches, the newest one is oh-so-beautiful.

Inspired by you said...

I love the table top. It turned out great!

Kara said...

Great job!! It looks awesome!

Pam - @diy Design Fanatic said...

Your table looks great! I love the distressing!!!

Unknown said...

I love the transformation. I really like the look of distressing, but after all that hard work in painting, it sure is hard to do.

Come check out my blog and enter to win my first ever give away. http://froufrugal.blogspot.com.

- Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl said...

Beautiful! I love the old barn wood. Now I need to find the time to paint and stain our table. Quick question, did you need to sand down the top before staining?

Thanks!
Brittany
http://www.prettyhandygirl.com

Ashley said...

Great Job! It looks wonderful!

http://afortyyearoldranch.blogspot.com/

Maureen F. said...

Great table - I would love something like that in my home

Hootin Anni said...

FANtastic!!!

My link for you... WIZARD OF OZ
Do come by to say hello if you have time!

Atticmag said...

It's amazing to see furniture come alive with the change in color.

BTW - we have a unique kitchen or laundry backsplash giveaway that might be useful to you. Please stop by our Giveaway Friday! Jane F.

Decor To Adore said...

What a fantastic project. I adore it!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful table! I love the new life you gave it.

Unknown said...

Hi, stopping by via Funky Junk's SNS. I love your dining room. You worked some magic on those pieces. I recently painted our kitchen table and chairs black and I'm looking for a cabinet. I'm still wondering if I should have gone white, especially seeing your lovely set. I love too that you financed it by selling the other piece.

Lori @ Projects Plenty said...

Really nice! I agree, the distressing of the table legs really makes them stand out.

Lenore @ Lather. Write. Repeat. said...

Absolutely gorgeous! I love how it turned out!

XO
Lenore

Unknown said...

beautiful!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Those look great painted and distressed. I love the old boards of the table. Great patina.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

LOVE your table and chairs and your hutch is absolutely stunning. I really like that you left the table top stained, it has such a beautiful patina and so much character. Your table top vignette is fabulous. I love everything about the whole room. So pretty. Thanks so much for linking to TTT. Hugs, Marty

Debbiedoos said...

You did a great job on that table....obviously very good at it! That is actually a fun job..wish I could find just the right piece I have been looking for to do this on.

Anonymous said...

Hi Melanie! Oh, I love the new look of your table! Y'all did a great job on it. I could sit there and you could cook and I would eat! :)
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Becca Bertotti said...

Fantastic! Don't you just love it when it all comes together! Thanks for sharing, *Becca*

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Hi Melanie, The dining room looks wonderful! I love the table and the buffet. Great job on the painting and distressing.
Hugs, Sherry

Amy Kinser said...

I LOVE your table. It is just perfect. You did a great job on making it feel so perfectly cozy and homey.

Partying with you tonight.

Henna @ AboutCabinets Blog said...

the first and second dining rooms are jus too good, white and wooden in color, they look like the life and soul of a home, i really like the sideboards with the walls that offer open cabinets and shelves for plates and glasses and look too good, absolutely wonderful

Annie's Online Store said...

simply beautiful furniture, from the first picture to the last one, i like each and every dining set, even though they are old, they have been maintained really well and look good

Related Posts with Thumbnails