Dining Chairs Makeover

I have been adoring our dining set for almost a year now. I do not regret painting the chairs at all even though it almost cost me my sanity when I was pregnant with our second. I blame it all to my surging pregnancy hormones! You can read my emotional breakdown over chairs here.

But just look at the difference a little paint (and a lot of elbow grease) can do to an outdated furniture! It made our dining room looks bigger, airy, and bright!

BEFORE

AFTER

Initially, I plan to paint the legs of the dining table as well, but I ran out of time when I first tackled this project. If you read my previous post about it you will know why. That’s still in my endless list of DIY projects in the house. But having a toddler and a crawling baby makes it a little bit tricky to work on home improvement renos. Oh well! It is what it is. I cannot complain! I have 2 wonderful babies!!! I’m sure someday down the road they will be helping me on my projects around the house.

I painted these chairs in April last year. They have been banged on, spilled at, grabbed with sticky and sometimes greasy hands, and wiped clean with wet cloth countless times since then. And I am happy to say, that the paint is holding really well. No chipping! Yay! I guess all my endless sanding and triple coat of sealant paid off after all! Thank goodness!!!

I thought I can get away with leaving the table as it is since it is in very good condition… well it was at some point anyway… until our toddler started eating with us on the dining table sitting on a booster seat we attached at one of the end chairs. The wood veneer couldn’t handle the constant spilling and wiping. Both ends of the table ended up having some of the veneers chipped off. It also started to have a very obvious bubble on one side.

So I have been on a look out online for inspiration on transforming our dining table without breaking a bank. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. CONCRETE TABLE TOP.

Pros: Have you seen them? They are aesthetically beautiful! Not to mention durable. It looks sleek and fresh. And I can actually say goodbye to using placemats and table heat pads!

Cons: I don’t know how safe it is to have a concrete table top when you have 2 little ones who can easily bump their heads on the table as they climb the chairs. This may start a paranoia!

2. BUTCHERBLOCK TABLE TOP.

Pros: Natural, classic look with casual appeal. With the right care, it could be a lifelong piece of furniture. It adds the warmth of wood at a lower price (?).

Cons: Shows scratches and wear; heat and moisture can damage the finish. Not stain proof. Needs to be reconditioned yearly, which I don’t know if I will ever get to. LOL.

3. FARMHOUSE TABLE. This has been my recent obsession that my husband heard me talk about on and off. We almost bought the materials too but then after adding up all the cost of the wood I would need, I was surprised how pricey it was.

Pros: Let’s face it, they are beautiful! I like the look of a stained table top with white legs! I am not one for a rustic look so I will not distress my paint. However, distressing the wood may not be such a bad idea after all so any future nicks or scratches will just blend in with the rest.

Cons: But I’m worried that food will constantly get stuck in between the cracks. What about spills? Won’t it get trap between the cracks too which will later lead to wood damage? I guess I can use a clear silicone caulk for the gaps? How durable is it? Will it start peeling away down the road like the caulk we have in our tub?

Once I finally decided which route to take, the next question is what am I going to do with my old tabletop? I wouldn’t want it to go to waste. I guess it won’t be wasted if I go for a concrete tabletop. But how toddler friendly is it really? Perhaps there’s a way that I can build a tabletop on top of my existing one. Maybe I can use it as a support?

Hmmmm… Decisions… decisions… decisions…

Any suggestions?