My New Old Dining Room

Yay!!! Huge warning, this post is very pic heavy. Finally a post of my house that isn't my sunroom. So as I mentioned from my last post, I finally found my dream dining set on Craigslist from a thrift store about 30 minutes away. My loving mom happily obliged and help me transport the farmhouse table and four chairs. Now my inspiration was of this farmhouse table and round cane back chairs that I found on Pinterest.

iheartshabbychic

So here is a photo of my dining room before I brought in my new table and cleaned up a bit.

The room has some off white floral wallpaper panels that were nailed to the wall. The walls have pretty much deteriorated and crumble once you remove the panels. Not looking forward to drywalling this room with all the cuts that will be necessary. The vents are exposed throughout the first floor since we were going to update the horrible electrical job from the house but lack of funds have prevented us to do so. Eventually, I want to knock down half the wall between dining room and kitchen so it's a bit more open.

My mom is probably would be cringing right now that I would show my dining room in this state but lucky for me she's not an internet person. So what you are looking at is a dog crate on the bottom left corner, our failed DIY Ana White Modern Farmhouse Table, chairs and a bench on top of failed table, vacuum in the back next to the buffet, 2 cabinets and my saxophone case to the right and a pile of junk in the right corner. We originally had an IKEA round pedestal table that I end up hating almost immediately. That currently resides in my mom's new house kitchen area. I then built the failed modern farmhouse table. It was actually perfectly fine and square until we forced the boards into the table. Needless to say, this warped the table and I am too lazy to figure out a solution to fix it so I just gave up. I secretly started to hate the table after completing it so this did help to sway my decision to find something new.

I inherited two of these cabinets from my grandmother when she moved in with my mom earlier this year. She got them from my mom a couple of years ago. This one doesn't have the doors attached cause I am working on updating the piece. I really don't anticipate using it for DVD storage but my boyfriend was cleaning up and stuck them in there for the time being.

The left side of the room has a chair next to the cage. The rotary phone on the wall is not even functional since we currently don't have a house phone. It came with the house.

Now here is a picture of my cleaned out dining room with the new table with 1 leaf insert, 4 cane back chairs and bench from my sunroom.

View from living room

Another view from living room

View from kitchen (Left side of room)

View from kitchen (right side)

Close up of table

Includes 1 Drawer

I am seriously in love with my "new" dining room. In the year and half that we have lived here, we never ate in the dining room. Sad, I know but I always used the table as a work table for my various Ana White projects I have completed (will show more of those later). I didn't want to leave my dining room at all. Sure everything is not the colors I really want now but the room is taking a turn for the good unlike some other unmentionable room. I literally go into the room and light up about it. I will probably change out the French Provincial buffet but for now it works. Here are the other items in the room

My bench I pulled from the sunroom

Front

Back

My chair/bench and flower leather top side table

ugly fabric

French Provincial Buffet/Dresser

sorry no more pics as of now

Bench I built but never finished from Ana White to go with the Modern Farmhouse Table

Some leg action from the chairs

Some arm action

A picture from my cat who wanted to be included

This obviously is only the beginning of many things to do this space. Such as

• refinish the hardwood floors underneath cheap IKEA flooring
• paint (or stain)/ reupholster most if not all the furniture in the room
• install drywall
• eventually open kitchen up into dining room
• accessorize accessorize accessorize

But for now, I am just happy we finally have a table to eat at together.

Dream Dining Room Table Set

I think I have cheated on Bessie and I am not ashamed! About a week ago, I put a deposit on a table with cane back chairs I found on Craigslist from a consignment store. I wasn't in love per say with the table but the chairs said hello, you must buy me. So I needed to hold it until the following (this) week and I will probably lose my deposit but it was worth it. Note to self: Listen to pleads of daughter and boyfriend to not buy things on impulse. But the plan was to always buy a farmhouse table later on down the road since I found this inspiration photo on Pinterest from iheartshabbychic.

iheartshabbychic

I am one of the most indecisive person you will ever meet. I have gone from a round table to a modern farmhouse table fail via Ana White (my fault, not her designs - she's great), to everything in between to finally end up on this vision.

Well let's just say later down the road turned to yesterday. I was searching Craigslist (yea, I know I have a sick addiction) and I found this lovely beauty for $50. 

Craigslist

Yes, I know deposit on the other table but it was everything I wanted...well almost everything compared to table one I previously put on layaway. It still would be cheaper to lose the deposit and just buy this table then pay for the other one so the goods (dream table set) outweighed the bad(money for deposit).

So I instantly panicked, what if it was already bought, I mean the date said June 23rd and it was June 24th. Good things usually go fast on Craigslist. So I said, self you must leave work early and race to buy the table but luckily my trusty coworker talked me out of losing my 10 hours of overtime I racked up during the week. So then my idea light bulb went off. This listing was from a thrift store and said thrift store opens at 10am but it was still 9am so I double check the listing. They posted at 5:15pm, 45 minutes before closing time at 6 (based off of their website) so the likeliness that my precious dining room set was still there was very high.

So I called at 10am and was elated when the guy confirmed it was still there. But would it be there tomorrow, then the store worker said he could do a phone order. Really, are you serious? Now obviously you have to be very cautious these days and I did some research on the store and the phone numbers from the Craigslist ad matched the store's website and I felt comfortable doing the phone transaction. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but my gut said it was right and well it made me very happy that I could secure my table.

He said I had about a week to pick up my precious.  Bad thing is I drive a car. So I sucked up my pride and asked my mom to pick it up with me since she has a small Benz SUV and I have a Hybrid Camry (even less trunk space than the normal one). Now, don't' get me wrong, I love my mom and she seriously will do anything for me but when I bought my car she said I should get a SUV and I didn't. Yes mom, you were right for once.  So she agreed and we went today to pick it up.

Honestly, I had my doubt as to wtf did you just buy a used table unseen or tested. But all my thoughts were pushed aside once I made it inside the thrift store. The table was sturdy (actually the legs come off so it can be reinforced easily), the cane back chairs were almost immaculate (one is a little loose but nothing major) and the table is solid WOOD. I just saw a farmhouse table yesterday that was a veneer top and very cheaply constructed. This one also has a drawer on end. Very lucky the legs came off for easy transport in my moms car. Wish the chairs were curvier and the legs were more ornate but I can't be too picky considering this was such a deal.

Now, I don't have any pictures tonight but I will try to take some tomorrow.  I have inserted the leaf with all 4 chairs around the table and added my bench from the sunroom to the mix. To say I am love is such and understatement. I am like glowing from ear to ear at how amazing this is coming out and I haven't even started to refinish yet. I tried looking for some fabric today without luck. Then again, I don't know what I am really envisioning right now. I waiver in between something funky like this from AllThingsThrifty

AllThingsThrifty

or do I play it safe but oh so amazing ala MissMustardSeed

MissMustardSeed

Not sure yet. Very excited to see where this goes.

Inspiration Files: Sunroom

So I was thinking about my sunroom at work today. Remember it looks like this

Still looks a mess (and junkier since this picture) and haven't done much to it yet but I have decided that I need to remove my beloved bench. Actually, thinking of moving it to my dining room table. Can't wait to see how that plays out. But back to the sunroom, I think the current bench is not scaled for the room / area it is in. I would need to add something to each side to feel more balanced in the room. It seems very small and I was going to buy another couch or move my living room, but now I think I want another bench. I actually thought of it after I found this Church pew on Craigslist.

Craigslist

I actually like this one from Craigslist but I fear it would weigh the room down.  It looks very heavy and solid but I need something lighter and airy like this other bench I found at a second hand furniture store. Both are roughly the same price at $100. 

Uhuru Furniture

Now big question is if bench #2 will fit in the sunroom and is it sturdy enough. Crossing my fingers it isn't sold before Friday. I love it and shall make it mine.

Window Shopping: Craiglist Edition

So, I always seem to find the most amazing things when I am dead broke it is not pay week. Here are couple of things that tickled my fancy that were $100 and under.

 Like this flower shaped table coffee table. I love the curvy shape and the support lines underneath the glass add extra interest. Definitely not your usual rectangular wood coffee table and I would love to buy for only $60 but I already have three coffee tables. The boyfriend would NOT be happy. We already have this lovely table that I painted blue for the living room, a yard sale table for the sunroom, and a Goodwill table that doesn't have a home but it was only $1.00 since it was missing a glass insert.

Craigslist

This cute mirror with antique-style gold trim for $25. I am no gold girl but this mirror could convert me. Love the details of it and it would look great for my future wall of mirrors or sunroom. Also would make a cool chalkboard.

Craigslist

Next we have this vintage nightstands for $45 for the set. Just looks like they need some extra loving on the top. Would be cute to paint them a funky color or even a glaze just enhance the wood tones for a nice variation of colors. 

Craigslist

Finally, this green painted farmhouse table with turned legs and a drawer caught my eye for $100. Not the best deal of the day since it doesn't include any chairs. On the other hand, it is also solid wood and I want it bad.

Craigslist

You see, on Pinterest, I saved this image for my dining room inspiration

iheartshabbychic

I found 6 caned-back chairs that came with an oval table form $95 on Craigslist at a local Consigment Store that aren't as curvy. They are more like these ones from threeboys although 2 are armchairs.

threeboyshome

But not pretty at all, rather dingy I may say so. But it's ok. The plan is to redo and update the chairs. Then hang onto the table until I either sell said table, buy a farmhouse table or build one. Preferably, I would like to find one like the green one above.

So that's the plan. Can't wait to share. Should have the table and chairs in another week or so. Will update with the goods when they arrive.

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And we have strawberries

First, I want to thank everyone for the comments on Miss Bessie, I do really appreciate them. Welcome to my newest followers. I also have been featured today at West Furniture Revivals. So check it out, the other ladies who are featured did an amazing job on their respective projects.

Now, I don't have a green thumb, far from it. See exhibit A, my front yard or should I say part of it.

So imagine my surprise when I found 5 (end up being 6) strawberries in my front yard. I actually thought they were berries from my neighbors grass and then I felt there texture.

Now they are not that large(a couple of centimeters) nor would I ever eat them because I was never expecting them to pop up in the first place. Turns out the good ol' boyfriend threw the seeds away earlier this year since I said they expired. I got them a year ago from Target and I always intend to plant things but never get around to it. We actually have 5 more strawberries by a gate in our backyard. So lessoned learned. The seeds do not really expired (can't vouch on taste) and it doesn't take much to garden strawberries from Target, ha.

Introducing: Bessie, my new desk

Meet Bessie. Say hi, don't be shy.  Isn't she beautiful.

I have this thing for naming objects. I remember naming the cats, although not objects but an animal, we dissected in Biology in 10th grade. Our cat was named Fred. So I think I will name my furniture as I go along. Well maybe not all of em but the ones that are dear to my heart.

I bought her off a guy on Craigslist on Sunday. I originally wanted another desk and you could read about that here. But back to Bessie, she once started out as this.

But I had this great idea to follow a technique by Marian,  aka MissMustardSeed, that she did with her old dining room chairs. Except, I loved when Bessie was painted the Valspar Running Stream and couldn't fathom putting BEHR Light French Gray over her pretty ol' self. I really like the Valspar color considering I did my thriftstore table the same color. Although, the table doesn't like that anymore and not for the better.

Anywho, back to Bessie. Just look at her. I decided to paint the drawers and side panels with the Light French Gray. I love that color. It looks a bit bluish gray in person and the paint sample I bought was flat so it looked similar to white when painted but it's not.  After I painted the frame and drawers, I decided I was going to stain the top. Yes, not one of my brightest moves but you live and you learn. It wasn't that hard to strip the top but it was worth it.

I then stained the top Dark Walnut by Minwax. I also distressed the top left drawer a bit and add some stain to it.

I didn't know how I felt about it. I honestly didn't care for it and contemplated redoing it but I slept on it and the next day I decided I was going to distress the whole piece the same way.  Some little voice of reason said to distress and glaze glaze glaze. So I listened and eventually ended up with this

I sealed the top with Danish oil (what I had on hand) and add the original hardware, scuffed it up a bit. Still on the fence if I will spray paint them oiled rubbed bronze but for now they stay. Now,  I am in love with Bessie. She makes me smile. I honestly thought it was going to turn out bad after the initial test glaze but I loved her more and more each time I distressed her. I am usually a procrastinator.  I got Bessie last Sunday by Thursday night I completed her, starting on Wednesday none the less. I have projects I have started or bought, like these chairs , months ago that are still untouched. I am very inspired to finish more things to share.

And here is the $3 chair I got from the thrift store to go with her.

Funny thing is, I actually bought the chair first but luckily they fit perfectly together. Was going to do something to it but for now I think I like the pairing of the two. No after photos, sorry. Maybe next time.

And a before and after

Before

After

Excuse the lighting. One is in the before was in my sunroom which wasn't white balanced and the after in my living room which was white balanced. Also, there wasn't any natural light since I was very impatient and wanted pictures immediately. Ultimately, she will reside in my bedroom.

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