The Ever Changing Eat-In Kitchen And A Big Announcement!

My taste in home decor is always changing and evolving, which means my house is a revolving door of things going in and going out.  What works for me today might not be what I want or like a month from now.  My style ranges from mid-century modern to vintage industrial with a bit of shabby chic thrown in.  I'm allover the map....I love it all!  One of the many benefits of redoing furniture and shopping vintage is that I'm always finding new and different pieces.  My Husband really does call our house a revolving door of furniture and decor because it seems we're always moving something in or out.  For some people this might drive them crazy, but thankfully I have a very understanding husband!  I've been this way since I was a child.  I was always moving things around in my room and trying to change things up to match my style, my mood or just to pass the time.  Some things never change!

Since we've lived in this house we've had three different  sets of kitchen tables and chairs.  Some have worked well for us and some not so much.  Hunter didn't like the chairs we had at one point and complained how uncomfortable they were (not that he ever wants to sit when it's time to eat anyway!). The Hubby didn't like two of the tables because one was too big and one was to small.  No one was happy with the kitchen table and chair situation, including me.  One day while perusing Facebook I saw a listing for a dining room table and chairs.   I didn't jump on them right away because I already had way too many projects waiting for me.  However, a week later the ad was still up so I showed the hubby and he liked them!  They had great lines and the six chairs were unique, plus it had two leaves which meant it was versatile. 

When it came time for figuring out how to get everything to my house the woman I bought them from was incredibly helpful.  I paid her a bit extra and she borrowed a truck from a friend and delivered them to our house.  It couldn't have been any easier!    

I didn't take a before picture of the table and chairs, but it's OK because I didn't do a lot to them.   Hunter was in the hospital when they were delivered and everything was a blur.  This house is dark and difficult to take pictures in.  For this reason, I usually take pictures outside in front of the tree.  Since I was in a hurry to get this project done (I was tired of listening to the complaints!)  I painted and reupholstered the chairs inside since there wasn't too much work to do.  That meant I had to take inside pictures...UGH!  

Here is the table in it's new home.

The table and chairs I believe are walnut.  The chairs are comfortable to sit in and sturdy.  There are six chairs and obviously we're only using four.  The Hubby made me promise I wasn't going to cram them all in the space.  Two of the chairs are being stored in the basement, but I did reupholster all of them at the same time.

This is what I fell in love with when I first laid eyes on this set....the chairs.....they make me so happy!  The circles at the back make me swoon!   They're unique and have a timeless mid-century modern kind of feel that I love right now. The chairs had been reupholstered a couple of times before so I removed the two layers of fabric.  The fabric was a floral/berry fabric that didn't work for me.  I went with my favorite outdoor fabric.  You might recognize the fabric from another post I wrote about my Turquoise and Yellow Cane Back Chair.  I'm a sucker for graphic prints.  I want this print in a wallpaper for behind my bed!  

The fabric was a risky choice due to the light color and the fact I have a messy almost 8 year old boy.  After I finished attaching the fabric I sprayed two coats of scotch guard on each seat.  So far, it's working great.  Yesterday, Hunter spilled red water all over the chair and it didn't soak in and came right off!

I had changed the rug in the fall because I didn't like how the other one went with my Pottery Barn curtains, but since the floor is so dark (not to mention ugly) I wanted to lighten things up a bit.  This is another reason I went with the bright, cheery yellow and white fabric on the chairs.  To brighten things up a bit more I used Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan in Pure White on the top of the table.  I thought about painting the whole table, but I liked the idea of keeping the wood.  

I painted one coat of Chalk Paint® on top, then once it was dry I took a wet cloth and wiped off some of the paint.  I wanted the table to look like the paint had worn off over time.  The wet cloth worked perfectly.  Not to mention it's a lot less messy than sanding.  No dust!!  The wipe-off method gives a different look than sanding.   It looks more worn and natural in my opinion.  After the paint dried again, I dry brushed a bit more paint on top then wiped again.  I repeated this process one more time before I had the look I was happy with.  To protect and finish the top I coated it in two coats of Annie Sloan soft clear wax.  

For now this room is working well for us.  I don't love the chandelier, the height or the placement but since it's not mine I have to live with it.  I did add new shades I found at an estate sale and they help a bit.

The way I painted the table helps hide any imperfections.  Hunter was doing his homework on the table  last week and I gasped when I realized he was writing directly on the table.  Second graders push so hard when they write!  There were little numbers imprinted in the table!  This had happened a few times before on our coffee table, so I didn't freak out.  I added another coat of wax and the numbers were gone.

I like how the dark line around the outside of the table top shows through in some spots.  The table was in pretty good shape, but the top had a spot where someone had put something really hot down and it left a mark.  It needed something done to hide it.

The new table and chairs are working well for our family.  It only took three tables and three sets of chairs to find the perfect fit.   So far Hunter and the hubby give it two-thumbs up.

I've mentioned before that our living situation is temporary.  We've been living in our current town since the hubby was transferred with his job from Canada to NY.  We've been here almost three years knowing we would buy a house when we moved back to Canada.  It's been a difficult few months around here, but this week we got some amazing news!!  The hubby has done such an amazing job and worked so hard that he was presented with an wonderful opportunity....to stay here in the US!  We never really thought this would be an option.  When he signed on for this job transfer he was told it was a three year work visa and at the end of the time we would go back to Canada.  I'm so proud of him and thrilled beyond words for him and for our family!  We don't have to uproot our family yet again and we can finally buy another house.  No more starting over with friends, finding a new doctor, vet or grocery store.  We're home!!!  We're now in the process of finding a house and trying to move before the school year starts again.  Wish us luck!!! 

For us life has been a constant state of living in limbo long before Hunter was born.  Now I'm ready to settle down a bit and not move for awhile!  We've lived in three houses in three years so this new house will be #4 in 3 years!!  The one thing that keeps it all flowing and manageable is my great hubby (I will have to make him read this because I don't say this enough!).  He always does his best to support me (and my crazy ideas), he helps me out around the house more than most men, listens to my constant rambling about interior design and furniture and tries his best to be patient with me.  Trust me, that last one is a toughie for anyone....even me.  Not many men can be married to someone like me and I was able to find that one-in-a-million!  On to our next adventure as a family.......

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this.  I love when I hear from you!

Melody