Furniture Redo

 2 weeks ago, Kevin and I got a wild hair up our butt to refinish our dining table and chairs. 
2 years ago we had purchased a new dining set from Slumberland furniture.  It was counter height and only comfortable sat 4 people. It was fine for the first year or so but then the girls because climbing EVERYTHING and it made us very nervous with them being so high up on the table.  There was just no way to keep them down off of it.  Also, it did not have a leaf and although we had 6 chairs to go with it, 6 people around the table was a joke!   I had decided on a whim to list it online one day and within the first 10 minutes someone wanted to buy it for full price.  And within 2 days we were left with an empty kitchen and only a folding table and chairs.  We searched in stores for a nice "forever" dining set but knew we just couldn't afford it right now.  I was so bummed because it just didn't feel like a "home"  with a card table and folding chairs.  Then one day I found this (below) table and 6 chairs online listed for only $50 more than what we had sold our set for. AND it had a leaf that could be put in and seat up to 10 around the table! 
Kevin wasn't completely sold on it but we got it anyway.  The top was worn, as were the chairs.  As time went on I started to regret my $300 purchase and wished I would have just saved that money to put towards a new set. 
It finally got to the point where we had to do something.  We were tired of looking at it.  The top was so dingy and never seemed to get clean either.   We did some research on the best ways to refinish it and decided to go the paint route this time.  Deciding on colors was the hardest part. We probably spent an hour online looking at different color combos and then another hour in Home Depot doing the same.  We finally decided on doing a two tone combo of dark top and lighter base and chairs.  The outcome was better than we expected. I absolutely LOVE  how it turned out.  I feel like my entire kitchen is brighter now.  The total cost of supplies was around $250 but that included EVERYTHING 3 cans of paint, 2 cans of primer, a paint sprayer, drop clothes, rollers and tray.  Not bad considering we did we refinished a dining table, 6 chairs, 2 dressers, a bed, and a night stand.  That's right around $50 per piece of furniture.  While it seems like a lot right up front, it is WAY cheaper than purchasing new furniture.  Also, we have plans to use the sprayer on 3 other tables/t.v. cabinet and other crafts in the future, so that itself has already paid for itself too.  

 Kaelin's bed and dresser.  Paint color:  Hint of Violet. 
This color was perfect for her bed set.   When Kevin first painted it outside, it looked white but when held next to something white, I could definitely see the "hint of violet"  It seemed to get even more purple in her room with all of the bedding and curtains up.  I love it and I know we'll keep this for many years to come.  This bed and dresser were purchased at a garage sale for $75 when Lauren was a baby.  A fresh coat of paint makes it look brand new even though it's at least 30 years old! The bedding and curtains were hand me downs from my little sisters room.  Well she's not so little anymore since she's 25.  It just goes to show you that "old" can still be cute and look really well if taken care of. 

 Lauren's dresser came from Kevin's parents house and we took it with us when we moved to Kansas.  It is a nice solid wood dresser, just had a lot of imperfections was pretty scratched up.  Nothing a fresh coat of paint couldn't fix.  We used the same paint on this dresser and night stand below that we used on the top of the dining table.  Last minute I decided to paint the drawer pulls with some pink acrylic paint that I had in my craft room. It was the perfect touch.  I do need to take them off and seal them since acrylic on metal tends to be easily scratched off. 
Lauren's night stand below came from my parents house. It is as old as me, I'm sure. I don't remember a time that we didn't have it.    It was in fantastic shape, we just wanted it to match Lauren's dresser since we use it as her night stand. 
The brown color matches perfectly to her bedding that was passed down from my mom.  Pink & brown are perfect for a little girls room and unlike a "princess" or "Dora"  themed room, both of my girls rooms should not be outgrown for years to come.  Which means, less money spent on decorating in the years to come. 

Sorry I just had to show you my dining table again because it's so beautiful.  My husband and his skills rock!