After we moved into our house, we noticed we were lacking a bit in the furniture area, and that even some of our current pieces (like our dining room table) were just a little too small for the area it was to fill. In looking for tables, all the ones we enjoyed cost upwards of $3,000 or more when you added the chairs in as well, which is straight up ridiculous if you ask my opinion. We knew we wanted quality as the dining room table symbolizes so much more than just a place to eat, but let’s just be real – we don’t have that kind of cash to shell out on a table and the less expensive options were just plain horrible in regards to quality.
The dining room, in our family, is the place where family and friends gather. Where we break bread, and share stories, and fill the room with laughter and love. And that’s more a little difficult to accomplish when you can barely fit four people at the table and your heart longs to serve more than just a quartet. So as we deliberated our options, the husband thought – why don’t we just make our own dining room table? And so we did.
We wanted the feel the of a rustic farmhouse table (a la Pottery Barn) to flow with the rest of the house, and opted to do the shade of our newly restored china cabinet on the bottom, matched with a dark stain for the table top itself. All for THOUSANDS less than what we would have spent to get equal quality. Yup. Incredible. The husband drew out a plan and we measured what would fit our space, so it’s truly one of a kind! I found the most perfect end chairs on sale and we were able to use our existing chairs for the sides. I know I am slightly biased, but it turned out perfectly and the process of being able to build it together is something we will always remember and are so excited to share with our kids one day!
Here’s a bit of how the process went:
The husband drew up the design for the table & got the wood form Home Depot. We built the frame for the base of the table, added a crossbeam on both sides and in the center, made the table top separately, then did A LOT of sanding, staining and painting. We attached the table top to the base once we were inside the dining room, then screwed everything in to make sure it was sturdy.
And the finished product without any chairs, you can see the antique china cabinet we recently finished in the back that matches the color of the base.
And here’s the table now, decorated for Mardi Gras, and ready for lots of dinner parties and family gatherings full of good food and lots of laughter!
And as a special treat, one of the reasons we love to host so often is that the husband is a master griller and just got a new smoker/grill all in one dream “toy” which seriously makes the BEST everything that is cooked on it which is perfect for large gatherings – the wonderful Big Green Egg:
What’s your favorite gathering spot for friends and family at your house?
