Rustic Farmhouse Dining Table

Say "hello" to our new dining room table and chairs. (Finally.  Am I right?) 

I love how happy the room is now.  It's no longer a stuffy formal dining room. 

We hosted a beer tasting party on Saturday night and the table worked out beautifully.  I'm pretty particular and I was always worried about our old dining table getting scratched.  I would have been hyperventilating in the corner as beer rings were added to the table top.  Instead I was able to enjoy my Moscow Mules in peace and enjoy the party.  Scratches don't matter.  Beer rings wipe right up.  All is right in my OCD world. 

Having seating for eight versus six was pretty awesome too.   

The yellow made me a bit nervous at first. (COLOR IS SO SCARY!)  I think it's the yellow chairs that add that extra bit of fun that the room needs.   

A random daisies in Mason jar photo because daisies and Mason jars make the world a better place.  

Like always, one new project leads to another new project.  We are going to replace the hutch with a smaller cabinet with open shelving above it.  I love the hutch but Nate and I both feel it's making the room a little stuffier/heavier than we want it.  I'm excited for open shelving to display my ever growing Pyrex collection.  It'll be a great way to add some more color to the room as well.  Who am I?

We'll have a full tutorial (including materials list) later this week!   Unless I flake. ;)

Here are links to past dining room post!

• Full Tutorial here!!!
• How to Finish a Farmhouse Table
• Picking table legs
• How to Paint Chairs (our yellow ones!)
• Picking Dining Room Chair (our black ones!)

Are you a farmhouse table fan?  Who's pumped for open shelving? 

Linking up to: Thrifty Decor Chick

How to Finish a Farmhouse Tabletop

Today I'd like to share with you how to finish a farmhouse tabletop. 

You're probably wondering "How long can this chick drag on this farmhouse table project that we've only seen bits and pieces of?"  Valid question.  The answer is FOR-EVAH.  Or until Monday.  Whichever comes first.  Patience is a virtue (of which I don't possess.)  And the sun has refused to shine in Iowa for like 2 weeks.  Weak, Iowa. Weak.  (There are a few sunbeams in these photos but it was pretty late in the day.)

Gather Your Supplies

First you will need to gather the supplies you need to finish your tabletop. 

1. Hand planar
2. Belt sander
3. Hand sander
4. 220 grit sandpaper
5. Goggles
6. Mask
7. Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
8. Stain (We used Rustoleum's Wood Stain in Weathered Gray.)
9. Staining Pads
10. Foam Brushes
11. Polyurethane (We used Minwax's Polyurethane in satin.)

Sand, Sand, and Sand Some More

Sanding was the most time consuming part of this table build.  We started with old barn boards that interlocked.  We liked the coloring of the boards but they were pretty dirty and uneven. 

Nate started by using a hand planar to help even out the boards.  He then used a belt sander to further smooth and even out the boards.  He finished by using a hand sander for a little touch up.   (You may not need to do as much sanding if you are using new wood.)

After the sanding was complete, we vacuumed the table and then used a damp rag to remove any remaining dust. 

Below is what the boards looked like before sanding followed by what they looked like after sanding. 

Wood Conditioner

We used Minwax's Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner to help our stain look it's best.

We used a staining pad to apply the pre-stain wood conditioner.  We let it soak in for 1-2 minutes.  We wiped off any excess. We waited 15-30 minutes and then we lightly sanded using a 220 grit sandpaper.   Stain within two hours.

The piece of wood below on the left was not treated with the pre-stain wood conditioner.  The piece on the right was.  You can see the stain is more even and looks smoother on the board that was treated with the pre-stain wood conditioner. 

We don't always use the pre-stain wood conditioner.  It depends on the project and what type of look we are going for.  We didn't love the look on these boards without it. 

Apply Your Stain and Polyurethane

We chose Rustoleum's Wood Stain in Weathered Grey.  We wanted the boards to look like their original gray color.  Just less dirty.  

We used Minwax's Polyurethane in satin.  Because that's what we always use and there is always some in our basement.  (It's easy to apply and dries well.) 

Apply stain with a staining pad.  Let sit 1-2 minutes and wipe excess.  Let the stain dry for a day.  

Apply the polyurethane with a foam.   Let dry ~6 hours.  Sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper.  Apply a second coat.  

Wait at least 12 hours before light use.

View fullsize

via Lowe's 

You can see that our table still has lots of imperfections and still looks rustic.  The beauty is that it is now clean and plates will only slightly wobble on them.  Wobbling plates is part of the charm of the reclaimed wood, right?  We love the nail holes and scratches.  We want things in our home to be less precious.  This table is precious in that it was built with love.  Not precious in the way that you only want to look at it instead of use it.

See the full table reveal here! 

Ike Wearing Charlie Be Good

If you've been reading awhile, you know that Ike is a very fashionable dog.  He's not really into clothes all that much.  He's more into accessories.  He loves bandannas, long ties and bow ties. Oh, does he love bow ties.  

I'm serious too.  The dog gets super excited about any new accessory.  I should video tape it.

He got REALLY excited when he received a package in the mail from France!  He's clearly an important dog.  What was in that package? 

A bow tie!  An adorable hunter plaid bow tie from France!

The lovely owner of Charlie Be Good contacted me wondering if Ike would like a new accessory.  Ike pounced all over that opportunity.  He helped me pick out the hunter plaid bow tie.  We both thought it would look great for our upcoming holiday photo.

The owner of Charlie Be Good is super sweet. Her fabric selection is fantastic.  She finds her fabric in the Paris textile district.  That just sounds fancy. I think Davenport needs a textile district.  Still doesn't have the same ring, does it?

I am truly impressed with the quality of this tie.  I can sew dog ties but this tie was sewn to perfection.

And Ike thinks he looks stunning.  Modesty is not one of his strong suits. 

Be sure to check out Charlie Be Good for an adorable bow tie for your favorite pup.  They also just opened Charlie Be Home which is full of handmade and limited edition home decor, kids items and accessories. Such cute stuff!

Is your dog into accessories?  Is your dog more stylish than you are?  It's okay because mine is. 

 ***We weren't compensated for this post.  Ike received his ridiculously cute bow tie in exchange for modeling.***