B&A, 1/2 WAY (again): the dining room

The dining room still lacks a lot of decorating, but we have the basics so I wanted to share the progress. We finally have somewhere to eat dinner. Our previous dining table tv trays were becoming a hassle and we started quoting The Bachelorette and Drop Dead Diva too much. Needless to say, we are really enjoying a true dining table.

I have all ready expressed my love and desire for a farmhouse table so that purchase should not be a big surprise to you. I bought the table through an antique store in Auburn and they use reclaimed wood (from old antique pieces) to reproduce new furniture. I saw a few pictures of the table and I was super excited. Here is the original table:

My friend Laurel-Dawn and I checked, and double checked, and even made a mock up of the table size with chairs at work, so I knew the size would be perfect for the dining room. And it was. I just assumed it would look worn, old, show character, have exposed layers of paint, etc. but it didn't. I was a little disappointed, but I was determined to make it look like the ones in my inspiration post. 

So, one day I sat down to coat it with layers of paint and sand away each one when I happened to look under the table. To my dismay I found the reclaimed wood! Here is what I found:

As you can see, I decided to un-screw all the boards and flip them over so the reclaimed wood would be the top. This really made my day. It wasn't that much work - the hardest and most painstaking part was all the sanding! I tried sanding the legs (too much white) but I think I need a hand sander for that! I applied a few coats of tung oil afterwards and here is the final table:

I love it and couldn't be happier! It took a little work, but it was well worth it in the end. I love how each board is different and exhibits its own characteristics. Remember my mismatch chair post? They finally all came together. Here is what we have so far in the dining room:

Not a whole lot! I love my great grandmother's buffet and can't wait to fill it with fun serving pieces. I especially like the dark color - I think it goes right along with my "industrial" theme. What do you think? I hope to put my straw hat inspiration to use above the buffet. More to come as we progress!