Build a DIY Contemporary Farmhouse Table for $40

We’ve been living with a teeny dining room table for the last few years. I sit there most days while I work, and was in constant competition with the cat for table top real estate. Dee & I were randomly perusing the scratch and dent section at IKEA, and happened on some slick stainless steel table legs for $5. We bought them, and promptly deposited them in the garage and forgot about them.

On another random trip to Bower Bros. Reclaimed Salvage, I picked up 6 old boards. They were stained, full of nails, and covered in old paint.  These were also deposited in the garage, next to the table legs.

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago. I’ve got a serious case of computer-screen eye burnout and a hankering to build something. Out to the garage! After 3 days of sanding, I managed to get all the surface gunk off the boards. The before shot below shows two of the boards sanded.  Another 2-3 hours of pulling nails, or hammering them in if they wouldn’t come out and the boards were ready to go.  At this stage, I’m still thinking that this project is going to be a flop.

A week later I managed to affix all the boards to some 1×6 planks underneath. This seemed to be enough to hold them together, but the edges were all wonky due to warping. We were aiming for rustic, and the boards are full of bumps and divots, but I didn’t want to be constantly spilling my coffee.  For $8, I picked up a bunch of  6 ft pine 1x2s.  After mitering the corners, I ran the pine strips around the bottom outside edge of the table top, using some c-clamps to get a nice tight fit.  This managed to level out all of the wonky edges, and gave a nice crisp clean edge that contrasts nicely with the knobbely boards.

One coat of stain brought all the boards into the same color family.  The knots got really dark, and the hammer divots and nail holes are really visible. The stain brings out all the ‘character’ in the wood and puts it’s history up on display. 2 coats of poly added just enough sheen, and smoothed the surface out just a touch.

A handful of screws attached the legs, and presto – one dining room table. I love the way the stainless looks with the knobby wood. It’s organic and warm, without looking too ‘country-kitchen’ or ‘shabby-chic’. Most of my DIY projects end up a little wonky – or charming in a DIY sort of way – but this sucker looks legit.

Now we desperately need some proper dining room chairs. I think I’ll probably buy those.

Build List
$20 – 6 reclaimed boards
$10 – Scratch & Dent Stainless Steel Table Legs
$8 – Pine 1x2s

I had left over stain, poly, and screws – but those are probably about $12 or so.