Sneak Peek

I worked on a project for Emmy this week while she was in California training for her new job at Coupons.com!!!   She and Nate have a dining buffet that needed a little update!   It was in great shape but she wanted it to go with her updated dining table.  I stripped, sanded and stained the top to match the dining table and then painted the bottom a gray green that goes with her rug and the other greens in her house.  The color is Sherwinn Williams "Hardware"!  Here is my before and after:

BEFORE

AFTER

I am sure Emmy will be adding more final pictures on her blog with the new hardware when she gets it home!!   I will keep you posted!

UPDATE!!

Check out Emmy's Blog  - Progression of a Home Buyer - for more pictures and the new hardware she picked out!!

Can I Build A Table - YES!!

Hi everyone!   Well the table is done.  I have no idea what I will do with it now but I sure learned lots while I was building it!  Next up to build one with more substancial wood. 4x4s for the legs and 2x6s for the top.  When I have no idea!

Here are some pictures of the finished product - I did do a little more staining etc. to the base so it wasn't so white and I added another 2 x 4 to each leg..

Now here is a comparison of my table and Restoration Hardware's Table which was my inspiration:

This table is SOLD !!!!!

My table $175

Restoration Hardware $2395!

A Big Building Project

Yesterday while Doug did all the driving of Sam etc. I spent the day in the GARAGE building.  I have been wanting to try my hand at building a table for a while now so using Restoration Hardware's Farmhouse Salvaged Wood Table as my inspiration I built my own version.

Here is their version:

Of course my wood is a bit less substantial, and my table is also a bit smaller ( my table top measures 72" X 33"with no leaves), the cost of mine was about $120 vs. their $2000 + !!

I used basic 2 X 4's, 1 X 4's, 1 X 6's and 1 X 8's.  I chose inexpensive wood because this was practice.  I like how it came out though, and I might try it again with thicker and better quality wood. What you see in the following pictures took me about 7 hours which included only two trips to Lowe's!   I stained both the top and base and then used whitewash over the stain on the base to give it a weathered look - not sure I accomplished that but I like it!  This week I will put a finish on it.  I'll be back with the final reveal later this week.

Excuse the messy garage - I will take a few better staged pictures later this week when the table is finished!  Have a great week.

Fun Times with Emmy!!

A few months ago Emmy bought a dining set on a local on-line auction site.  It was a great set but had seen better days so,  she decided to paint the chairs and bottom of the table and stain the top.  Last weekend using her handy new paint sprayer we primed and painted 2 coats of semi gloss on 6 chairs and the legs.  We did it all in one day which I think was amazing!!!!  I brought the table top home and stripped, stained and finished the top.  Everything came out great!!   Check out the pictures below and then head over to Progression of a Home Buyer, Emmy's Blog for more pictures.

Here are the before pictures:

Here are some in progress pictures:

And here is the finished product!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day!!

Great Garage Weather this Week!

Yesterday I finished up Sam's side table. Came out very nice and just what he needed beside his bed.

 It was such a beautiful day that I decided to use some leftover wood plus the old side board from a bed that the previous owners of our house left in the garage (8 year ago!!)

So this is what I created . . . .

The legs and aprons were left over wood from Sam's bedside table and the top was made from the side board of a bed cut in half and attached together!

I think it came out very cute.
Sam is going to use it as a "coffee table" in his room in front of his futon!

The side board was pretty beat up so I just added some more distress, sanded,

stained and added a few coats of Polycrylic.

Tomorrow Emmy and I are going to paint her dining room table, and then I will refinish the top.

Have a good weekend!

Mom plays when her kid is away!!!

Sam is in NYC visiting his Aunt Patty (Doug's sister) this week so I have enjoyed some time in the garage.
I decided Sam needed a bedside table - he just rearranged his room and that is the only thing missing!

Yesterday I took some scrap lumber I had in the garage - 3 different size pieces and

using my Kreg Jig attached them together. 

 After I sanded and painted the top you can hardly tell there are three pieces!

Today I bought some 2 X 2 and 1 X 3 pieces of lumber.

After cutting them to size, I attached them using my Kreg Jig.  

 I have one coat of brown paint on everything so I am not quite done.

I will be back later this week with the finished project :)

Weekend in "My Garage"

I saw a tray on a blog this week and it looked easy to make, so using some scrap lumber in the "Garage" I made this cute tray for the family room coffee table! Emmy liked it so much I am now working on one for her :)  Check out her blog for pictures:  Progression of a Home Buyer  She took the pictures for me so my cute "grandpuppy" Zach decided to pose too!

I used a new technique on this!  I stained first then rubbed a small amount of vaseline where I didn't want the paint to stick.  After two coats of paint I just rubbed those areas and you get that nice "shabby chick" look :)   Doug was laughing at me for then putting three coats of polycrylic on to keep it from getting chipped!