So I Made Myself a Farm Table

Let's talk about farm tables for a few minutes. First off, I love them. love love love. Probably too much. I've always wanted one, but they're usually well over $500, with the best ones being upwards of $2,500. And we've got a studio to save for people! So that's not happening. Also, my dining room is...shall we say, petite. I love it, but not only is it a dining room, it's also the main thoroughfare between the family room, the kitchen, and the bathroom. It's a high traffic space, and a little small. This means our dining room set needs to be just the right size and dimensions. Over the weekend, while worrying because I'd sold my own dining room set right out the room, and had a big empty spot in the dining room, I spotted a lovely antique drop leaf table, and I had a sudden bolt of inspiration. I'd make my own farm table gosh darn it!
       I wanted something a little avant garde, cause why not take some risks, and I wanted something with some character and color, and I wanted it to have a light colored wood top, because my floors are dark. So here's my solution. I bought some beautiful rough sawn pine lumber from the local lumber yard. I would have used barn board but it's pretty hard to get a nice light color out of 100 year old boards. I measured and measured and measured, and decided on the perfect dimensions for the table top-68 inches long, 32 inches wide. I removed the leaves from the drop leaf and used the old top and frame as a base for the new top. Apply top, brace edges, bevel edges with sander etc etc etc. And voila!
Instant farm table. I think it's very harvest meets Shaker with that exaggerated overhang. And the yellow on the legs is the original mustard yellow paint, which it to die for!
        What do you think? I'm basically head over heels for it. Now I need the perfect chairs, I want something with a tall back, probably a set of six, and I like an upholstered seat, to bring some warmth to the set. Here are some I like. Also pictured- before and afters of my table. Happy Wednesday!

**Before**

I didn't feel too bad about taking the leaves off and putting the new top on since someone had already compromised the integrity of the piece by painting the top that horrible blue. 

Tadaa!

I love how the mustard of the legs and the light tone of the top work together.

Pine can be so beautiful. 

I would love to find another set of antique oak chairs just like these that I did last year. I'd paint them charcoal gray, and cover the seats in a dark mocha upholstery. That would be perfect.