DIY Amazingness

Buster hath finished the table! Actually, it's been done for a week or more, but I'm a slacker.

As I mentioned in my last post, we were stressing out over our first official dinner party. It happened Friday night. And it was wonderful! The table looked beautiful, dinner was a hit, the company was nice. But it was a lot of work, and I don't want to do it again any time soon!

So, here are some photos of the table from start to finish. And just a reminder, these plans were based off of a table from Restoration Hardware, which retails for upwards of $3000.

The frame, built of Pine (purchased at Lowe's for about $60):
just wait... it gets better!
Buster ordered the lumber for the top from a local woodshop, because he wanted something that was a bit more durable than Pine. Also, the quality of the Pine wasn't too great at Lowe's, and much of it was warped, twisted, etc. So, he chose Poplar for the top. And it was pricier. Also, we think we were overcharged a bit, and most likely won't use the same woodshop again for our next project (they charged us an extra $100 versus what they quoted... and all they were doing was cutting the lumber. Annoying!). The eight poplar pieces cost us $280.

Here are some photos of the unfinished table (sorry for the poor quality... these were taken with my phone):


All of the wormholes and gouges you see were carefully placed by Buster! He created a couple "tools" that helped him distress, and he beat the shit out of the table. Who knew it would have such a beautiful effect?

We went back and forth regarding the stain color. Initially he had chosen a Red Oak stain:

Red Oak stain on Pine

At first, I really liked it. But then I feared that it might be a bit too dark, and Buster agreed. So he tried out several different stains, and we decided on "Early American":

Early American stain on the Poplar
It's worth mentioning that Buster made me take the above photo of that exact spot on the table. It's his favorite spot. The wood grain coupled with the distress... just beautiful!

And the final step was deciding on what type of finish. I did not want anything too shiny. I would have been fine with no finish, actually. But Buster was adamant that we needed one. He did not want any water rings from glasses or spillage messing up his table. So, we decided on a satin finish. In some of the photos below, it looks shinier than it really is, due to the light overhead. But in person, it's just the right amount of shiny.

(And I apologize for the odd angles. The table is 8 feet long, so it's difficult getting it all in the photo!)

The color in this photo is a bit blown-out, and makes the table look more orange than it really is.

This is a very accurate representation of the true color.


I know the artwork looks off-center, but it is in fact in the center of the wall!  There is a door on the right side of the photo (that you can't see).

And finally, the table set for our dinner party! As you have realized by now, we went for the red chairs from Pier 1. They are wonderful! Comfortable and easy to move. Honestly, the most difficult part of decorating was choosing my placemats and napkins. Initially we had chosen some red leather placemats that match the chairs, but it was just too much red leather. I wanted something more neutral for the placemats, and luckily found some nice ones at Target, along with napkins that I think really tied it all together.


So there you have it! The story of our dining room table. The total cost of materials (stain, finish, lumber, etc) was about $380. Buster put in a week of work on the table. And it was so worth it.

Next up, he'll be making one for his mother. And then one for our friends. And then my mother...

Comments

  1. Buster did an absolutely amazing job on the table. I also love the color of the chairs, along with the decor. Wonderful job!

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  2. OMG! It came out beautifully! That table will be a family heirloom for sure. And I love the red chairs; with the color of the table, they are a perfect match. Bravo!!!

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  3. Gorgeous! Looks awesome. Will he ship to OK?? :)

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  4. It's a beautiful table - he did a great job!

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  5. That looks awesome...I am also waiting patiently for your reaction to the finale of Project Runway!! :)

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  6. Wow. WOW. I am SOOOO impressed I want to hire your husband to make the same exact table for me! Seriously gorgeous table!!!

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  7. It looks beautiful! We will be making a table with our antique barn boards, no distressing required. Buster did a wonderful job getting the color and the look right. Having a growing pile of the stuff growing on my porch, I can vouch for it's authentic look :) It sounds like he could open up his own Etsy shop ;)

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  8. Incredible! Looks absolutely amazing... so lucky to have a handy husband.

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  9. The table is GORGEOUS! You have a very talented husband. :)

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  10. That is just gorgeous. I want one (oh and a room big enough to fit it in!)

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  11. Wow, it's beautiful! I love the contrast of the distressed wood against the elegant red leather. And you set the table so beautifully too!

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  12. It's beautiful! What a talented man you've got there!

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  13. Wow, that is one awesome-looking table. Let me know when you start taking commissions!

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  14. If you lived nearby, I would pay him to do one for us. We desperately need a table. How much were the chairs?

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  15. I would like to be added to the wait list:)

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  16. Wow - that's gorgeous! Nice work!

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  17. He is so incredibly talented. It's a gorgeous table made all the more meaningful because he actually made it -- put his love and energy into it.

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  18. Oh, my goodness! You're DIY puts ours to shame! Love the table Buster built! And the red accents look great. It's absolutely gorgeous.

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  19. That table is beautiful! I am totally impressed!

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  20. Absolutely gorgeous, and I love the chairs!

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