Thursday, September 30, 2010

When Times Get Tough...Paint!

This has been a rough year (financially) for Clint and myself.  It started with an outdoor drain needing to be installed so our basement would stop backing up.  Then a kidney stone that came with HUGE medical bills (Gotta love when insurance only covers part of the problem).  Now, a new boiler (ours is leaking and over 50 years old).  All of these have completely drained our savings and our sanity.  With that, any hope of a budget to remodel parts of our paradise, or finish what we started, are on hold. I feel like this  :*-( 

We are living on love.  Which isn't so bad, but is challenging. 

One room in our home that needed a little, itty-bitty, teeny-tiny, makeover is our dining room.  After finishing our buffet (finally), I moved to the dining room table.   


This table was given to me,for free, from a friend of the family, who thought it would be perfect in my space.  They were very correct!



I love the style and look of the table, along with the size that suits our small dining room.


But it needed some work.  It was dinged and the stain was starting to wear.  Also, there was a leaf for the table that was never found.  So, the table had a long divided line in the middle that was uneven.   Also, the dark stain made the room feel heavy.


After a light sand, wood filler, primer, and left over paint from our ceiling, I think we have a Pottery Barn look alike table....for $0!  We had everything we need in our basement from past projects!  No trip to Home Depot needed!


One purchase we may make in the future is a glass top, to protect it from nicks or stains.

P.S. Don't worry, those are kiwi's on the table.

19 comments:

Kate said...

Nice! It looks great and "free" is a price you can't beat! You have some awesome friends, I wish someone would give us great stuff like that :)

Scientific Housewife said...

It looks great! Nice job :)

Kylie said...

Pretty! I like round tables, but hubby having 7 siblings doesn't really lend itself to having a round table. I love the white. Looks great.

Did you do some photoshopping in that photo of the white table top? I spot some legs ;)

Unknown said...

Nothing's better than a free makeover - love how the table looks!!!

Danielle and Clint said...

Hey Kylie,

Yea sorry. My camrea wouldn't zoom out anymore and I could not back up anymore. So the chair legs got photographed. Sorry...laziness on my part.

Dolores said...

Your title post is basically my everyday mantra. The table looks great! Keep on painting!

Cait @ Hernando House said...

That looks great, Danielle! This year has been rough on us financially as well, so we've been doing as many budget friendly painting projects as possible.

Mary @ stylefyles said...

wow nice work! Great transformation, and you're right, it really works in that space!

Kristin said...

Looks great! Amazing what a little paint can do

Kim @ NewlyWoodwards said...

I really love it white. Very Ballard Designs. I'm thinking about repainting my dining set white instead of black.

Love yours.

Hardwood Flooring Pro said...

Congrats on your table, it looks amazing! It's incredible what a little paint can do to a piece of furniture :) It really brightens the space and makes it feel bigger. Hope that you are able to get back with your savings and no more unexpected expenses come your way!

Kelly@TearingUpHouses said...

I really like it with that rug - the pattern is fantastic! - and those chairs.

Nice table.

Kelly

Sara @ Russet Street Reno said...

How weird, my future MIL gave us a table almost identical that I'm in the process of sanding right now! I'm actually restaining the top and painting the pedestal creamy white. Yours looks wonderful, even with the kiwis that sort of looked like poop! I'm kidding, I laughed out loud when I read your 'don't worry'! ha

the cape on the corner said...

living on love, is that like livin' on a prayer? you'll make it, i swear.

um, yeah...channeling my inner bon jovi apparently.

Amanda @ Little House on the Corner said...

Yay for paint! I think you have a good outlook on things.

I like the white table with the dark chairs!

Amanda @ Little House on the Corner said...

Ahh, what would we do without paint?? You have a good outlook on things. Love the white table with the dark chairs. I have a painting project in my near future, and this gets me pumped up for it! :)

I tried commenting earlier but my computer messed up, so sorry if you get this twice!

Danielle @ Transforming Home said...

Love it! We also have a pedestal table in the kitchen and it works out great - cause you never have to worry about someone sitting at a corner.
Great painting job!

Danielle

Meg said...

I am so sorry to hear about the kidney stone and other challenges! I hate when bad things happen to good people. I've recently had a budget setback and know how it feels. But you are smart, wonderful people and I have no doubt business will be back to usual for you two in no time.

Love it!! That table looks absolutely sexy with a new coat of paint. You have a great eye! And I totally agree with your title. Sometimes an old piece of furniture with a fun coat of paint looks even better than the pricier options. :)

Oona Johnson said...

It's awesome! I only hope our "someday", already in the basement, free dining table looks that good someday...

I am so sorry to hear about all the crap you guys are having to deal with. It's no fun at all. Just remember all the good stuff; Clint, furbabies, your house, jobs, etc. Homeownership can be crazy overwhelming at times.