Kitchen Table - Shabby to Chic!

Years ago, we purchased a table for a space in our kitchen.  It has served us well and over the years the chairs went from white, to blue, to green.  

Over time, both the table and chairs took a pretty good beating.  The kids carved into the paint on the chairs and the table chipped badly ... and it wasn't a good kind of chipping.  Whatever paint was used by the manufacturer was very brittle and came off in chips like this.  An ugly mess.

Refinishing it was on my list for years, but I only now got around to doing it and really even deciding HOW I wanted to refinish it.  I considered doing it the same way I did my dining room table, but in the end I decided on a more distressed, sort of weather worn finish.  

Step 1:  Sanding.  Lots of sanding on the table.  I love my Rigid orbital sander for this, but even then, it was a tough messy job getting through that thick layer of paint.  

Here it is fully sanded except for the pedestal which was in pretty good shape.

Step 2:  Whitewashing.  I used about 2:1 paint/water mixture and applied it with a brush.

Then, I wiped it off with a sponge.  

Step 3:  Distressing.  Next I sanded the table all over to get even more depth with the finish.  This is where I started to feel like all the work had been worth it.  SO much better than the chipped mess from before.

Step 4:  3 Coats of Polyurethane.  I used oil poly because I think the finish is more durable, but water based is fine too.  Table complete.

Step 5:  Next came the chairs.  I went back and forth trying to decided what to do with the chairs.  I thought maybe I would just paint them from this spring green to a solid white and I even started to do it but I wasn't happy with how it was looking.

 I opted to strip the chairs since my dad told me how EASY it would be to strip the multiple layers of paint compared to sanding.   

This was a messy job.  No matter how careful I was, I seemed to manage to get the stripper on me, but I did the best I could.  Here are the chairs after they were all coated with the paint bubbling up.

After only a couple of hours, I could scrape the paint from the seat past 3-4 layers of paint and down to bare wood on the seat, but the rest was a pretty good mess that didn't come off well at all.  Even where it did work well, there was still all this goo to contend with.  

Eventually, I moved back to the sander once the majority of the stripper was off and the chairs were dry.  In the corners I did the best I could sanding by hand.  This was a long, hard job and it took several days - much longer than the table.  After the chairs were stripped, I applied the whitewash, but did not remove it with the sponge as I had the table.  I wasn't getting the same effect.  Instead, I just sanded the chairs after the whitewash was dry which was pretty much as soon as I had finished applying it.  It dried fast.

I could have stopped there, but while these were outside, we were using our dining room chairs and noticed that the finish of those chairs, which I'd distressed with stain, looked great with finished table so I decided to go a little further and use the walnut stain as I had previously.  

I just applied it and quickly removed it with a rag.  You have to move fast though because the stain doesn't give you a lot of time to work with it.  After this, I did a little more sanding to get the look exactly how I wanted it.

For the chairs I used a spray polyurethane just for convenience sake and to avoid all the potential drips.  After a couple of coats, I was finally done.  

I could not be happier with the final product.  

It blends great with our kitchen island and it's so nice to sit at a beautifully finished table without all those dings in the top.

I'm not sure about the dark cushions, but with kids, they're good for now.  I'm hoping to find a nice cream or pale pattern eventually.

My advice if you want to tackle a project like this - 

1.  Get a sander and lots of 80 grit sanding disks.

2.  Take your time.

3.  Enjoy the results!

Linking to the Home Sweet Home Party.

More Blue and Green

I mentioned in my previous post that I was going to search for a valance with blue and green that would tie the kitchen chairs in with the rest of the blue and green on the first floor.  How hard a task that has been!  My usual nemesis, brown, was everywhere, and I even found a few blue valances, but blue and green was elusive.  As luck would have it, I went to Sears to have portraits of my 4-year-old taken and decided to take a stroll through the curtains.  Jackpot!

Mr. T's reaction was that it looks like we've finally moved in.  (Please ignore the extra blue cushion on the chair.  That provides an extra boost for the tiny 2-year-old in residence.)

I was having such a hard time finding valances that I considered making some of the same fabric I used for my dining room chairs, but then I remembered that that fabric wasn't inexpensive ... and that the last thing I need is another project.  The fabric of the valances is nearly identical to what is on my dining room chairs.

The valances have some buttons that were nearly destined for removal, but they've gotten a reprieve for now.  I'm back to working on the list of projects earlier listed.  I don't think its possible for me to work on one thing at a time! 

Kitchen Color

Back in March, I painted my kitchen changing it from tan to cream.  If you followed my project you might remember how I desperately wanted green but I simply could not find paint that worked with the wood tone of the cabinets and the tan backsplash.  Here is the result ...

I love blue, but blue has taken over my life from what I choose for my home to what I wear.  I seriously need therapy for blue OCD so I'm really trying to make an effort to choose other colors.  I've always intended for the main accent colors in my house to be blue and green.  When the green paint failed, I thought of changing the kitchen chairs to green and several of you agreed.  So, here they are ...

I'm considering aging these a bit with stain, but I think I'm going to leave them for now.  Its supposed to be at or near 100 degrees here today and tomorrow and stain will be impossible to work with and will never dry.

I'm also considering a valance for over the kitchen sink and over the sliding door that has blue, white and green in it.  I think that would finally tie the entire first floor together.

Kitchen Paint

Well, I'm not done but I thought I'd finally share the paint color I ended up with in my kitchen. It is Martha Stewart - Heavy Cream. (Still working on a project to hide the phone cord and patch the wall on the right.)


Here's a before below ... Sorry if its a let-down because I know its not such a dramatic difference from before. In another house, the previous paint color would have been perfect but it felt like the room belonged in someone else's house. It just didn't flow with the rest of the colors I have in adjoining rooms and it wasn't "me".


Unlike other rooms I've painted where I think "Wow, I love this color." every time I walk into the room, here I don't even notice the paint and that's okay because before I painted all I thought about every time I entered the kitchen was how much I hated the color. Its really hard to tell in these pictures, but the cream is so much less imposing. I don't have any natural light in the kitchen since its on the north side of the house and the tan didn't help.


I got some additional suggestions after I started painting such as Behr - Country Dairy (not so different from what I chose and would have also been a perfect choice) and Ralph Lauren - Peony (LOVE this green color, but where to find RL now that Martha's taken over?). I sincerely appreciate all the suggestions.

One mistake I made ... I forgot that when painting white over a color that its always best to prime even if the color isn't very dark. The past couple of projects, I've used the Behr paint with primer and I got spoiled. It took about 4 coats of paint to cover the tan with regular paint! That's one reason this took so long even though it wasn't large area to paint.

Now, that table ... I love my pedestal table and the unexpected blue color of the chairs. However, the finish on the table has taken a beating and rather than looking worn, the chips on the top make it look dirty all the time so I'm thinking of sanding it down and painting it this summer. I came across this picture on The Life of a Future Domestic Goddess not long ago and loved the finish and thought I might try it in green.


I couldn't get green to work on my walls, but I haven't given up on it yet!

Your Paint Suggestions!

First of all, thank you so much to all of you who took the time to recommend paint colors. This morning I finally decided these greens weren't going to work and I have to start over. I've been looking around at all the colors you suggested! Here are a few of the specific colors ...

Behr - Mountain Sage
The more I look at this one, the more I love it. But I wonder if its close to the sample I already have.

(Source)

Laura Ashley - Taupe 3
This is close to what I have now.

(Source)

Benjamen Moore - Soft Fern
This one actually reminds me of the color we had years ago when our old cabinets were painted white. It was a great color against the white cabinets but our kitchen is so dark that I didn't want to do it again. Maybe a shade lighter on the same chip would work?

(Source)

There was also a suggestion of doing white. A while ago, I tried and tried to find a white paint. There are so many! I simply could not find one that was the right shade. What I was looking for was one that was like my dining room furniture (Heirloom White Spray paint) or my kitchen island below ...


Seems like that would be easy to match, right? Not so much. My parents use a white paint on their painted furniture and they're coming by so I'm going to try that too. Back to the drawing board today.


Oh, one last thing ... I don't love my new header but I just had to get rid of that snowflake!

More paint in the Kitchen

A while back, I painted the kitchen tan just because I absolutely hated the orange color it previously was. I always had plans to repaint but I've never been able to find a color that works with the kitchen but also flows with the rest of the first floor. The tan is so drab but what color really works with the wood cabinets, that dark granite and the backsplash that I also am not such a huge fan of? These elements do nothing to lighten up the kitchen.


Here's the view from the yellow living room into the blue dining room. I love my green glider and wondered if green might work.


So, here's a sample I picked up today. Martha Stewart now has a line of paint at Home Depot. This one's called Aurora Borealis.

I don't know. I feel like "blah tan" is the only color that will ever really work with the cabinets, backsplash and counters. I'm at a complete loss here.

Herb Wreath

I finally got outside to pick my forest of basil. I'm not sure this picture really conveys how much is there, but that bowl on the left is the biggest bowl I own. I wanted to make enough to freeze pesto for the winter, but I think I grew enough to feed an army for a winter! While I was out there, I ended up picking all the oregano as well that had become a pretty well established groundcover. All that oregano came from a single plant.

The plan was to make pesto, but I started washing and drying the oregano getting it ready for drying and started thinking how no one needs that much oregano. I always grow too much. I didn't want to waste it, but what do I do with it? Then, I thought of the $1 store wreath forms I'd never gotten around to using and floral wire leftover from my wedding.

The kitchen wreath idea was born. I started laying the stems and wrapping the wire.

Before long, the whole wreath was covered. Mr. T walked in expecting to see me busy at work on pesto to find me making a wreath. I think he was being sarcastic when he said that I should add the lavendar I'd picked a few days before. Good idea! I tied that on as well with some raffia and added a raffia bow.

Then, I ran into a problem. I wanted to hang this over my kitchen window, but to save my life I couldn't find my wreath hanger (like the kind you use for doors. I had to improvise. I took a wire hanger and bent it like this ...

Then, I wrapped more raffia around it and ended up with this ...

Voila!

Very happy with it ... Sorry about the glare with the light. It was starting to get dark out so I need to take a better picture tomorrow.

I eventually did get to the pesto, but with that insane amount of basil, I need about 5 gallons of olive oil and several pounds of pine nuts, garlic and parmesan cheese so I didn't even come close to finishing. Grocery store trip planned for tomorrow.

Head on over to A Soft Place to Land to see all the other DIY Day projects and The DIY Showoff for the surprise party!

One last thing ... My parents are coming to visit for the day and they're bringing my mantle. I got it last month at the flea market and my dad spent so much time stripping it. He finished painting it this week. I'm beyond excited. I've never had a mantle in any house I've lived in and I cannot wait to have one installed and ready to decorate. Of course, I'll be sharing the results!

EDIT: I just wanted to add a note about the herbs ... There are a number of herbs you can do this with that I can think of besides the oregano that I used. Thyme would work well and I think Rosemary would work similar to a pine wreath for the holidays. I would stay away from things like basil, cilantro, parsley, etc. since those will wilt and not hold their shape.

Chickens!

Okay, I know this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I kinda like the idea of chickens in the kitchen. (Say that 10 times fast.) My grandmother loves chickens but more of the colorful, printed-on-country-curtains type so maybe that's where I get it from. She's a sassy lady and I feel like we're kindred spirits sometimes.

Anyway, when I was hunting around in DE one weekend and buying up a bunch of milk glass, I came across a few chicken covered dishes. Cute, but where would I put them? I left them behind. Of course, like always, I later I decided that I wanted them after all and sent my mom back to pick up a couple. I just think they're cute especially the little one.

Then I realized I have the perfect shelf for them! The only thing accumulating here was clutter so I cleared it out ...


... and my two chickens now have homes. The perfect little perch for them to watch us cook dinner.

I wanted to scream when I washed this little hen because the paint started peeling right off when I washed it! Oh well ... If it was worth something, it probably isn't now.

But wait, there are two empty spaces left! I've sent mom back to the store to pick up the last little bird at the store. That left one more space. I fell in love with this little bird on eBay, but I've given up on eBay. I usually don't want to pay the price when combined with shipping and when I do, lately I've had terrible luck there. The pieces arrive broken or not as expected. Its disappointing. This seller didn't offer insurance, so no deal. Bye, bye birdie!

I hoped that I might find that last dish at a flea market this weekend at the D.C. Big Flea. Rows and rows and rows of vendors. I didn't go in June, but I had a great time when I went in March. However, I'm still waiting to hear about on funeral plans and there's a strong possibility I'll have to skip it again. Yesterday, my mom called me at work and told me that's she'd picked up not 1, but 3 chickens. So I may miss the flea market, but at least I have my chickens!

About the Medieval Illuminations class ... Your comments of encouragement now have me seriously considering it! ;-)

Have a good weekend!

Chandelier up and a Lampshade purchased ...

After hours of assembly between assembling the lamp and being completely lost on crystal hanging directions, the chandelier is up. I'm happy with it, but what a nightmare. I got a good deal on this and now I know why. The instructions were awful and I have no idea if I even put the crystals on right but, its up now and I love how it looks.


It looks a thousand times better than it did before ...


We actually have to buy lower wattage bulbs because its a little brighter than we'd like and we don't have a dimmer. Maybe one of these days we'll install one, but for now, different bulbs will work.


Along with the Shabby Chic bedding I got from Target the other day, I found a shade in a shape I really like for the thrift store lamp (yes, it was more than the lamp!). I left the plastic on for a while because I wasn't sure if the scale was right, but I figured it was enough of a drop to hide the socket so it must be right.

I like the scallop on the bottom edge of the shade ...



You would think I would know about these things. My first job out of college was working as an engineer for a lamp manufacturer. I was only there for a year but I really loved the job. A few times a year we would have meetings with the designers about their concepts. Funny thing about designers ... they do all these "pretty things" that are near impossible to carry out. What was my job? To make "the impossible" a reality while making it cost effective at the same time and to see the product from prototype to show and into production. We did some upscale, more modern lighting and other pieces that were more on the funky side. Now, I did learn that a shade should have a certain scale on a lamp, but I can't remember exactly what that scale should be. It was 11 years ago. Then again, that was probably part of the designer's job. And, we didn't work on crystal chandeliers!

Check out Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday for more transformations!