This is what my dining area used to look like with a four legged table and black leather dining chairs. A more rustic-industrial look that I had brought with me from my loft. They were perfect for that space, but I felt that they were just a bit 'heavy' and 'clunky' for the "cottage".
I showed you the table below in one of my earlier posts. Solid oak, in really great shape and the perfect size (it has a leaf so I can expand it for when the guests start arriving!)
I also really like that it had a pedestal base which allows me to pull the chair right up under it because when you live in 800 sq ft, every inch counts!
As much as I liked the table, I really was not a fan of the oak colour....so, a "tablelift" would be in order!
I got it home and into my basement workshop....then the fun began!
But ...before I could get started, I wanted to be sure I had the proper 'tools' for the end product I wanted to achieve. I purchased a set of good brushes from Home Depot and the paint I decided to go with was from Rona's ECO Recycled Latex Paint, Velvet Finish in the Colour Ocean.
I started with a rough sand to help the first coat adhere, wiped it down with a damp cloth and then began the first coat of paint. The final look I wanted to achieve was a more rustic, imperfect finish, so if you could see the odd brush stroke here and there, that was perfect!
This is part way through the first coat..... (please excuse the mess that the workshop is currently)
Then....after a second coat and bringing the table back upstairs, here is the final product........
Even Charlie was happy with the final product (he gets himself into so many photos)...
The wool table runner is also from the same vendor at the Hanover Market. The peacock feathers in the rustic vase tied the blues in the table to the brown hardwood and the green glass in the room.
Here's a better view of the colour and the wool table runner.....
I'm a big fan of keeping my space fresh and changing out items to add variety, different textures, lines and colours. I sold my old dining table and chairs and with the great deals I was able to get for this table and new-to-me harp back chairs (you'll see more of them in future posts, but here's a sneak peak of their 'before'), changing the entire look and feel of my dining area was no extra $ out of pocket whatsoever.
If you're willing to put in a bit of time and effort, you can change the entire look and feel of your home for practically nothing but a little bit of 'elbow grease'.
RR
