Before…
So… last week I told you about the drop-leaf table I re-homed when I saw it on it’s way to the skip.
I mentioned that I like the ‘country farmhouse style’, with cream/white bases & varnished tops – so that’s where I was headed.
I didn’t want it to look too ‘clean’ though – I didn’t want people to think I’d just gone to Next & bought it. Safe to say, thanks to my epically bad painting skills, there’s no fear of that 😉
Well… a little bit of sanding, and a whole lot of varnish stripper, later and I have a gorgeous new table for my living room…
and after!
I was tempted to limewax the top, but after stripping off the dark varnish, I realised that so much of the dark stain had got into the grain of the wood, it had created a decent effect of its own – and I liked it.
All I needed to do was clear wax the top surface a bit, and selectively sand the newly painted base and hey presto – a whole new table 🙂
I like the less-than-perfect look. It suits me, and my NOLA fascination.
Next step is the chairs. I was going to buy some folding chairs to store away in the table, but I (almost) walked past one of mylocal antique stores the other day and came away with 3 pine farmhouse chairs, a bookcase & a mirror – and £50 less in my bank account 
There is a little bit of me that says I shouldn’t be spending money unnecessarily, but the louder voice shouts it down 🙂 I have a dining table, therefore I need chairs! Also, my current bookcases are those MDF, fake-wood ones and my new/old one is solid wood. As for the mirror – that will get used on a ‘mirror wall’ in the hallway (girls’ nights out are so much easier if you have a whole bunch of mirrors!).
This lot is gonna keep me entertained for a while!
Any design suggestions? x
nolavstheworld 