Good morning!!!
Fall is very much underway here in the Kootenay Mountains and I couldn’t be happier about it! The leaves are changing to all sorts of glorious shades of yellow, orange and red and creating pretty little piles on the sides of our roads and all over the hiking trails. I’ve dug out the sweaters, boots, wool and plaid. And, instead of reading books in the sun on our deck, I’m curling up with a nice cuppa in front of the fireplace.
Hubs and I have been working so hard to tackle all sorts of projects around the house before the snow flies, in fact, I’ve got weeks worth of posts to write to get y’all up to date. But, no matter how excited I am about each and every accomplishment, I just can’t stop myself from dreaming about all things Fall! I’ve never really decorated my house for anything other than Christmas (couldn’t possibly pass by the most wonderful time of the year!), I suppose I’ve never really had a house to decorate for Fall. So, prepare yourself my friends, because if I can accomplish even half of what I am planning in the next few weeks, you are in for a ton of Fall inspiration! I cannot wait to transform this house into a cozy, warm and welcoming mountain retreat just as Fall makes its way through the Kootenays!
In the mean time, I’m CRAZY excited to share my latest project with you today! It’s one of those projects that makes me smile every single time I walk by it and I just know y’all are going to love it too!!!
There’s nothing I love more than a rustic piece of furniture full of charm and chippy paint! When we (and by we, I mostly mean hubs) built this gorgeous Pottery Barn Inspired Table for our new courtyard deck, we knew that we eventually hoped to tackle something similar for inside the house too. In fact, we sort of thought of this outdoor table as practice for whatever farmhouse table we decided to make for our dining room.
One of the items on our ever growing to-do list (boy hubs loves those lists!) was adding another coat or two of varathane to our outdoor table to help protect it through the Winter. It turns out that sometimes not getting to every single project on my list the second I think of it is a blessing in disguise (Brady, I have a feeling you are going to read far too much into that statement)! It did give me the time to have that “ah ha!” moment. With another cold & snowy Winter on the way and an empty dining room (aside from the treacherous chandelier that everyone forgets to walk around), it occurred to me that maybe we should slide this lovely table through our double french doors and let it live inside for the Winter. Our gorgeous table would be safe from the elements and we might even get a chance to actually use our dining room!!! Brilliant right? Or maybe just obvious. 😉
As much as I love this Pottery Barn inspired table, there is just one part that I haven’t always been thrilled with – the top is a different colour and it drives me a bit mad. You see the bottom is made from pine boards, but the top pieces were so large that we were only able to get them in cedar, which meant that even with the same stain, the two different woods made for slightly different colours in the end. As I was getting ready to paint another coat of varathane over the top boards again (as in literally opening the can on the drop cloth and dipping the brush into the varathane) I thought it might be fun to do some sort of whitewash to the top instead. And that’s all it took folks, one spur of the moment fleeting thought and it was decided: this imperfect table top was getting a makeover!
So, down to the garage I marched with the varathane and up I came with some watered down Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White. The ratio was approximately 1 part paint to 1 part water, which created a milky sort of consistency. At first I tried to just lightly brush the paint onto the table top, but it just wasn’t giving the impact that I was looking for. So instead, I decided to just slap on a thick coat of this milky paint before wiping it off with a clean rag.
I knew I wanted something that looked REALLY rustic – like old, weathered, chippy paint rustic. Sadly, this subtle, all over white just wasn’t it.
Hmmmm. Back to the drawing board I guess. I decided the best way to get something more dramatic looking was to make the paint more dramatic. I started over with a ratio of about 3 parts of paint to 1 part water and very lightly brushed it onto the table top. This created a much darker, streaky sort of finish with a ton of imperfections … just what I was looking for! I played around with it a ton adding a bit more here and a lighter touch there to get that really weathered look.
I swear with each paint stroke, my smile was growing bigger and bigger! It all just looked exactly as I had pictured it in my head!
With one quick coat of varathane on top, this beauty was ready for dinner! I cannot wait to host our upcoming Thanksgiving dinner around this new gorgeous dining room table!!!
I actually loved it so much that I even debated painting over the rest of the table, but in the end I decided to leave that beautiful dark wood exposed. I mean, I can always paint the rest later if I decide I need to! What do you think: would you paint the entire table or are you digging the two-toned look?
Wishing you SUCH a lovely day!
You can find me sharing here & at Savvy Southern Style.
Leigh Anne says
I didn’t know I could love this table any more than I already did, but ummm, I DO!! It looks fantastic!
Kristi says
Awwww, thank you SO much Leigh Anne! I’m pretty darn excited about it!!!
Emily @ Table + Hearth says
Two-toned all the way. It is just perfect! From the side, it almost looks like it has a metal top which is cool too. My projects usually come as spur-of-the-moment ideas that just hit me out of nowhere rather than a ton of planning. I think it’s more fun that way 🙂
Kristi says
Thank you Emily!!! I really was SO torn about painting out the bottom too! I’m thrilled that you love the two-toned! I definitely think some of the best ideas come when you don’t give yourself a chance to second guess yourself!
Nicole B. says
Looks sooooo good! Don’t you just love whitewashing?!
Kristi says
Thanks Nicole! I want to whitewash EVERYTHING now!!!
Breanna says
Love me some white washing! This turned out fantastic 🙂
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Breanna! I definitely see more whitewashing in my future!!!
Pegyy says
It looks very charming in your dining room. The top has that weathered appearance you were going for and makes your chairs pop. Very farmhouse rustic, my favorite look!
Kristi says
Thank you SO, SO much Peggy!!! Farmhouse rustic is exactly what I was going for and definitely my favorite look too!
Kelly says
Looks great! Way to stick with it and get the look you wanted!
Kristi says
Thank you Kelly! I’m glad I found something that worked for me too!
Amy | Canary Street Crafts says
I love the way whitewashed wood looks! Kinda vintage-y, and it adds so much character! The table looks amazing, Kristi!!
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Amy!!! Whitewashed wood always has me swooning too!!!
Amy@homeremedies says
Very nice, Kristi! The paint/stain combo works so well on this piece. 🙂
Kristi says
I’m thrilled that you love the two-toned look Amy! Thank you SO much!!!
Amanda @ Dwelling in Happiness says
Love it, Kristi!! It looks so pretty with the two tone. And, HUGE props to you guys for BUILDING that table, it’s so gorgeous!!
Kristi says
Thank you Amanda!!! SO happy you like the two-toned look! This table was our first big project and proof that anyone can do it 😉
Krista @the happy housie says
The white wash is such a cool finish- I love the look of it on the rustic planks Kristi!!
Kristi says
Thank you Krista! I’m so in love with that rustic look that I’m already on the hunt for my next whitewashing project!!!
Tara @ Anything & Everything says
Love the white wash look, it turned out great! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us soon!
Kristi says
Awwww, thank you SO much Tara! If only I could freeze time for a week to get some of it done 😉
Erica says
This looks SO good! I totally love this table inside, actually, and I’m sure it will thank you for not leaving it out in the cold this winter! Love the pop of contrast that the new whitewash brings. And I bet you and everyone else is glad to not be running into the chandelier anymore 😉
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Erica! It will look so much better having spent the winter warm and dry and hopefully we’ll put it to good use! Everyone is thrilled to not have to remember that silly chandelier – everyone except Carson and I who are short enough that we never once hit our heads 😉
Kendra @ www.joyinourhome.com says
It looks soo good Kristi!! My husband and I were just talking about it today… It’s on our to-do list first thing in the spring!! Love the white washed look!!
Kristi says
Awwww, thank you Kendra!!! I’m thrilled that you are going to tackle one too!!! You’ll LOVE it!!!
Katie @ Upcycled Treasures says
Kristi, your table is beautiful! I love whitewashing furniture too and am pretty much obsessed with this. Pinned!
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Katie!!! I want to whitewash my entire house now!
Ashley @ 3 Little Greenwoods says
Love all the texture and color on your tabletop! So fantastic! I’ve got a living room side table that would look awesome with whitewash. I just might have to give it a whirl!
~ Ashley
Kristi says
Thank you Ashley! I’m officially addicted!!! I’d whitewash my whole house right now if my husband would let me! Let me know how it goes!!!
Jenny says
Gorgeous! I love this idea!
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Jenny!
Antionette Blake says
Thanks for sharing this with us at the #WWDParty.
Kristi says
Thanks for stopping by Antoinette!
Pam @ Simple Details says
What a great solution, Kristi! I love how it plays against the other stained wood furniture in your room! Thanks so much for sharing at Best of the Nest!
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Pam!!! I’m absolutely thrilled with how it turned out and I cannot wait to gather around it for our holiday dinners!
Aniko@PlaceOfMyTaste says
This is beautiful, Kristi!Pinning!
Kristi says
Thank you Aniko!!!!!!
Trish says
I love it. It is gorgeous. It definitely adds character to the piece. I can’t wait to see your fall decor on it. And I wish the leaves were turning red yellow and orange where I leave. What a scenery.
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Trish!!! I’m dying to get decorating now too! I just love the colours and beauty of this time of year!
Katie @ Little House of Four says
I LOVE this table and I LOVE the whitewashing you did. I may be in the minority, but I think it wold look amazing all whitewashed! Have a great week and thanks for linking up to YDTT!
Kristi says
Awww, thank you SO much Katie!!! I still debate it every time I walk by!
Emily Marie says
i am in the process of making a table with my dad similar to this one! What kind of wood did you use??
Kristi says
How fun! We used just regular pine, dimensional lumber Emily. Good luck!!!
Kelly says
I don’t think I’ve ever whitewashed anything… might need to give it a try some day 🙂 Your table turned out lovely 🙂
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Kelly!!! I’m officially addicted!
Taralyn says
I’m not brave enough to do an entire table, but I would love to do this to a single piece for a food backdrop!
Thanks for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board.
Kristi says
Thank you Taralyn!!! It would make a fab backdrop too!
normaleverydaylife says
That’s really pretty! It looks gorgeous in your dining room. Do you think you’ll move it back outside? Might need to leave it! 🙂 #turnituptuesday
Kristi says
Awwww, thank you so much!!! I guess we’ll have to see 😉
Tara @ Anything & Everything says
Thank you, Kristi for sharing this with is at Pin Worthy Wednesday! I have pinned this to our Pin Worthy Pinterest Board as well! Hope to see you again this week, we always love having you 🙂 P.S. I absolutely love how our table turned out!
Kristi says
Thank you SO, SO much Tara!!!
Kristina @ My Own Home Blog says
I am madly in love with this! It looks amazing! Gotta love spur of the moment ideas! 🙂
Kristi says
Awww, thank you SO, SO much Kristina!!! I’m thrilled that you love it too!!!
Mei says
I’ve always wanted give whitewash try. This will come in handy for sure for my next project.
http:// thenewvintagemarket.blogspot.ca/
Kristi says
Thanks Mei! It was super fun to play around with!
Ashley@Biggerthanthethreeofus says
Seriously, it’s gorgeous!! Love it!
Kristi says
Awww, thank you Ashley!!!
Amy @ Homey Oh My! says
My goodness, Kristi… This table, your style, everything’s just beautiful <3
Kristi says
You just made my day! Thank you Amy!!!
Tracy @ OurSimpleHomestead says
I love the look of whitewash! We just built a picket fence out of old pallets and I whitewashed it. It turned out great! http://oursimplelife-sc.com/cheap-wood-picket-fence/
Kristi says
It looks gorgeous Tracy!!! Absolutely perfect! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE whitewashing too!
Amy W says
So perfect! I’ve been wanting to paint my tabletop white for a while… maybe I just should!
Kristi says
Maybe you should! No thinking Amy, just doing 😉
Bethany says
I love it! I am so loving white-wash lately, I have done a stool and a TV dresser in a white-washed gray and I love how it turns out. It’s almost impossible to mess up (my kind of project!) Your table is gorgeous!
Kristi says
Thank you Bethany!!! I’m officially addicted too! I agree that it’s difficult to mess up, just wipe it off and try again 😉 Would love to try white washing with a colour – I’m sure the gray looks fab!!!
Erlene says
I’m always amazed at the things you make…seriously awesome. Thanks again for sharing on Merry Monday and inspiring us all to do it ourselves.
Kristi says
Oh Erlene, you are SO, SO sweet! Thank YOU!!!!!!
Julia@Happy House and Home says
Oooh it came out great! I love that look – and I love your benches too- the whole thing looks great. I like it the way it is btw, just the top white washed. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday! xx Julia
Kristi says
Awwww, thank you SO much Julia!!! You totally just made my Saturday! Enjoy your weekend!
Kimberly says
I’m in love! So cute. Pinned. Hugs! Lou Lou Girls
Kristi says
Thank you Kimberly!!!
Amanda @ The Kolb Corner says
I love the 2 toned look–leave it as it is for sure! I will be featuring this little project on tonight’s Merry Monday link party so be sure to check it out at 8 CST. Thanks for sharing!
Kristi says
Awwww, thank you Amanda! SUPER exciting!!!
Christina @The DIY Mommy says
It looks so fantastic, Kristi! I too love the extra worn look. Thanks for sharing the how-to & linking up to Motivational Monday!
Kristi says
Thank you Christina! I’m SO in love with that chippy paint look! Thanks for popping by!!!
steve says
Hello, your table looks great! I am about to start a similar project myself with a whitewash finish. I was wondering if you have had any issues with the table yellowing from the Varthane? (I am guessing you used the Varathane water-based poly?) Thanks for your help!
Kristi says
Hi Steve, thanks so much! I haven’t had any problems with yellowing at all that I’ve noticed, though I did choose the water based poly for that reason). Hope this helps!