Happy Wednesday! I am in a wonderful mood because last night I purchased my dream dining room chairs… Seriously the chairs I have been coveting! I waited and waited until I found them in my price range (which is the extra cheap one!) and the waiting finally paid off. You will have to wait til this week’s insta-Friday to sneak a peek unless you follow me on instagram (cassie8978). Aside from that highlight of my day, the kids and I had a great summer day…. We went to the gym with friends and I got RIPPED while they played. We came home and ate lunch on the porch; and after that they put on their bathing suits and played with the hose for a while until the neighbors invited them to play…. to me that is pretty much the quintessential summer day. Don’t get me wrong, they keep pressing each other’s buttons because they are with each other 24/7 but for the most part, they have fun together.
Last week I shared a little peek at this vintage kitchen nook set. I found it on craigslist and was immediately drawn to it.
My plan was to paint the table white and the benches a fun color. After talking it over with one of my business partners, Celeste, I decided a neutral bench was the way to go and I could add fun colorful pillows.
I got to work sanding down the table to prime it since I planned to paint it a white I had on hand. When I sanded it, I discovered beautiful rustic natural pine look…. I fell in love. I love the blemishes… they add character!
So I rethought my plan and decided to sand the table all over, and paint the benches Paris Gray. I wanted to table to have a very natural finish, so I decided to use Tried and True Original Wood Finish from Rockler. The description on the website reads:
Tried and True Original Wood Finish is a premium oil finish made with traditional varnish making techniques and 100% natural, plant-derived ingredients. It provides a beautiful, natural sheen that allows the grain of the wood to shine through, yet gives plenty of protection for wood surfaces. It is safe for use with cutting boards and children’s toys, and is FDA approved as non-toxic and nonallergenic.
You can see the table top is much richer with the finish.
While that dried, I worked on the benches. I painted them with Annie Sloan in Paris Gray with just one coat. I gave them a light/medium distressing and applied clear wax to finish.
I waited 24 hours and then used very fine steel wool all over the table, as suggested on the Tried and True can. The table ended up feeling so smooth after that!
Here is the set in its complete form!
I just love that if you look closely enough, you can see hints of white paint on this table… it had once been painted white. There were even a couple hints of red. I loved this stripped natural state!
What about you? Do you love the stripped natural state, too? And I am talking furniture here, people. Get your mind out of the gutter. 😉
By the way, did you know the ever so famous Beckie of Infarrantly Creative has started yet another blog? This is like her 7th blog I think because her schedule just wasn’t busy enough. 😉 How does she do it all? Anyhow, the new blog is called Furniture Makeover and today she is featuring my midcentury desk! Be sure to pop over to check out the new digs!
Have a great Wednesday! I am off to the barn to measure spaces upstairs! EEK!
