DIY Dining Table Makeover

5 Materials
$75
2 Hours
Easy
I have been wanting a change in my dining area for quite some time. As much as I love my farm table, I was ready for a change. Above all, the colors of the dining room area are what I call southwestern, so it needed some brightening up. I decided I wanted to do a DIY dining table makeover, and find all used pieces.My goal was a bright, cheerful, farmhouse style dining area. The dining area is small (It’s more like a breakfast nook). Most importantly, I was tired of the dull colors. I wanted bright, crisp colors. The Table SearchWhile scrolling through the Facebook Marketplace while the Hubs was working night shift (I do this a lot when he is working nights), I found this round table for $13.00. Yep, you heard right. It was hard to tell from the photo if the table was sturdy, but at thirteen bucks, I figured I had nothing to lose.
$13.00 Dining Table
As the Hubs and I drove to pick up the table, I couldn’t help but think the worst. How can a sturdy, well-made table be $13.00? My fear was that the legs would be really wobbly and that the table would be flimsy. 


The seller left the table on her front porch because she had to run out unexpectedly. We drove in the driveway, and as I walked up, I could immediately see it was well worth the asking price. I could not believe how heavy it was when we lifted it. It was very well made. The only issue was that a piece was missing on one of the corners, but nothing the Hubs couldn’t fix. For some reason, I did not take a picture of the damaged area! But here it is after the Hubs repaired it.
Repair
The Chair SearchOnce I got the table home, I knew the hard part was ahead of me. The chairs. I wanted a total of six chairs, mismatched. To clarify, four would be placed around the table, and the other two would be backups. That is when the hunt started. I scanned Facebook Marketplace and other sites, but not much luck. 


For almost two weeks, I found none. Finally, I decided to post as a Facebook status that I was looking for six mismatched chairs. As a result, one of my sweet clients replied that she had two she would give me. I never turn down FREE!


Free Chairs
About two days later, a friend who owns a vintage store posted chairs for sell she had in her store. I saw two that I liked and messaged her to see if they were still available. I told her what I was looking for, and she informed me that she also had a storage shed full of chairs. The Hubs and I drove to the store and were taken to the shed. I could not believe my eyes! There were four chairs the exact same style I was looking for! 
4 Chairs for $40.00
To say I was excited was an understatement. To find the exact chairs I was looking for never happens. It pays to have great friends who help you out.


Two chairs were the same. One had white paint on it like someone started to paint it, but changed their mind. My plan is to keep it exactly as it is. 


The DIY Dining Table Makeover


The first order of business was to sand the top to remove the remnants of paint and scratches. I used it for a few days to work on a few crafts. I sanded the tabletop outside using 60-grit sandpaper and then following up with 220-grit. The entire finish did not have to be sanded off since I was using chalk paint.
Sanding Table Top
The legs were sanded with 220-grit by hand to scruff them up.Next, I gave the table a good cleaning with Lysol wipes, making sure to remove all the sanding dust. 
Cleaning Table
The Paint Process


After it dried, it was time to paint.


My color choice was Dixie Belle's Cotton (White). It's crisp and bright!


To apply the first coat, I used my paintbrush.   The first coat doesn’t have to be pretty. (Country girl had to take her shoes off! I did not realize they were in the picture haha).
First Coat
Make sure to keep your paintbrush damp. This allows the chalk paint to go on smooth, with less brush strokes.
After about 4 hours of drying time, I applied the second coat. Lastly, I painted the final coat on the legs with my paintbrush. For the top, I used a roller brush. This is to give it a smooth, even finish.
Rolling Top
I painted the first and second coat using a paintbrush because I did not have rollers on hand at the time nor did I have a paint tray!


This is where my thrift store tray came in handy! That is to say, I did not have a paint pan. I just added tinfoil over the tray!
$1.00 Thrift Store Tray
I allowed the table to dry overnight. This gives the paint time to set. I then used my 120-grit sandpaper and heavily distressed around the legs and the table base. The table had beautiful detail, and this really made it stand out.
Distressing
Here is the base distressed.
Distressed Base of Table
The Top Coat


I also sanded the top lightly with 220-grit to give it a smooth finish. Take a piece of tack cloth and remove the sanding dust. For the protective coat, I chose water-based Polycrylic.


I used a new roller brush to apply the poly. 
Three coats were applied, allowing about 2-3 hours of drying time in between. After I applied the first coat, I lightly sanded with 220-grit sandpaper, making sure to clean the sanding dust before applying the second coat. The final coat dried overnight.
Poly Added to Top
In conclusion, I loved the way the table turned out! I can’t wait to get it set up in my dining area.
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Here are a few other projects you may like:


Before and After Furniture Makeovers Using Paint


10 Items Every Furniture Flipper Needs


Christina


"It's not about what it is, it's about what it will be."



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  • Lynn Lynn on Sep 29, 2020

    Sooooooooo cute/love the different chairs

  • Jill Wiegand Jill Wiegand on Sep 30, 2020

    Great job! Love the 4 chairs! 🥰

  • Kamilla Kamilla on Sep 30, 2023

    I just bought a house and I need a dining set. In fact I need a few pieces of furniture. I would like if you could put me on to the friend with the vintage store so I can take a look and see what she has in store. You did an amazing job with your project. Also what state are you in?

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