simple.beautiful.home: Yard Sale Table: Trash to Treasure

I mentioned last week (here) that I found a table at a yard sale down the street. I had been looking for a pedestal-style table for the kitchen/mudroom area ever since we renovated the kitchen (more on that here, here and here). It certainly wasn't for lack of options that we were left table-less.....I just didn't want to pay $500 or more for it.

Here are some of the ones I have been eyeing over the last two years...

Ballard Designs - Augusta Dining Table ($499)

Pottery Barn - Sumner Pedestal Table ($1499)

West Elm - Arc Base Pedestal Table ($499)

I also saw a few here and there on craigslist, but they were always snatched up before I could get them....or they were more than I wanted to pay, which was $100.

So I put it on the backburner for a while and decided that it would happen when I least expected it. And it did. As I was driving to the grocery store the other day, I passed by a yard sale down the street and lo and behold, my table was waiting for me....and for only $75!!!

I apologize for the slew of before pictures. The table was disassembled when I bought it so in my ~~laziness~~ eagerness to get started, I didn't put it together for a good before shot. As you can see though, it was in pretty decent shape, just a few water marks and scratches. And since I was planning to paint it white to match the cabinets anyway, it wasn't a big deal that I had to sand down the minor defects. I used 100 grit sandpaper (which I had on hand) and went over the surface a few times to remove the poly coating and smooth it out. Then I rubbed it down with some tack cloth and started to paint!

I used Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Plus Primer for the first two coats. I already had this can (as you can see by the paint drips all over it) from a project in the basement, so I didn't need to run out and buy something special for this project. I have used it a few times in the past, and it works really well to seal in stains or wood knots.

I gave it another quick sand after the prime to make sure there were no bumps or bubbles and then applied one coat of Sherwin Williams Super Paint in Pure White. This is the paint that we used to redo the cabinets in the kitchen, so I wanted to be consistent.

And here she is....

The legs are definitely not as shapely or fancy as the PB or Ballard Designs tables, but I think it works for the space....and for a lot less money! It also came with two leaves, so I refinished those as well in case we have a party and need a buffet-type table. And since I had the sandpaper and primer and paint on hand already, the whole table transformation only cost $75.

Here is a look at the before and after:

I shoved a few chairs that I already had at the desk area in the kitchen underneath the table but they are a bit too tall. I am thinking about trying to cut them down a little so that I don't have to buy new ones, I'm just nervous that they won't be as sturdy if I do that. Has anyone had experience shaving chair legs? :)

I am also on the hunt for a pendant light to hang down (p.s., so glad we left the electrical up there when we added recessed lighting) over the table and some placemats or a cute runner). And even though the bench seat looks relatively put together in these photos, I just wrapped a piece of fabric around foam and stuck it there for the time being. There is some sewing to be done around here soon! Maybe that is my project for next week. I am trying to do one project a week (whether it be changing photos in frames or re-painting something), which feels like a reasonable goal to me. And usually if I set that goal, I am able to get way more done. It's when I expect to accomplish five projects in a week that I end up disappointing myself. Reasonable expectations......

Oh, and you might have noticed in the shots above that I changed the photo in the frame on the shelf. I took some 9-10 month shots of Pace the other day and this is my favorite.