The Start of Something Great

I'm just sure of it!  I had the awesome idea to strip the dining room set that has graced our home for a very LONG time.  We actually purchased it a couple months after we got married - back in the year 2000.  The dining set was a floor model at Pier 1 so we got a great deal on it and it has served us well.  It was one of the first pieces of furniture we ever bought together.  But 3 kids and 10 years later it was seriously starting to show its age.  That's when my awesome idea occurred.  Lightbulb!  I will strip it, sand it, and paint it myself.  I want it to be olive green with some black accents.  Genius, right?

Doug was not completely on board with this project but once I sanded down 2 chairs he had no choice but to jump on the bandwagon.  He reminded me several times that I was in way over my head.  And after sanding those 2 chairs, I kinda started to think he might be right.  My right arm was tired and sore.

So eventually my dear husband decided to save me from myself.  I think he let me fool around with the sanding and spackling just long enough so that I would surrender without a big fight.  Doug has been working with a millwork company named Fetzer.  They are doing all of the woodwork on Montage and they also crafted the pulpit at the Conference Center (the really famous one made from Presidents Hinckley's tree).  Doug asked his contact there if they would be willing to refinish our dining room set and they said sure - for free!    We get to just drop off the table and our choice of paint at their shop and then pick it up a few days later, shiny and new.  No sore muscles, no mess in our garage.  Totally awesome.

Here is our lovely table before I started to massacre it.

Before



Fairly non-offensive, brown and pretty boring.  Also pretty hammered.



After the spackle stage.  The entire table was covered in dents and scratches so this step was completely necessary.

This is after Doug finished sanding the table.  All the white spots are little dents and scratches that have been filled in.  Pretty bad, huh?  The chairs are next, but he told me I could do those.  Um, this has been working out really good for me up to this point.  I think I'll pass.

I'm hoping to post some "after" pictures very soon.  I'm hoping I don't hate the paint color I picked and I'm hoping this new table makes me love my home even more!