My husband had a hideous kmart table (see the before pic) with target chairs that he bought before we were married more than 9 years ago. I have never liked that table but it was what we could afford at the time. The table managed to make it through 4 military moves before I ripped it apart last week and used Ana's farmhouse table plan to make the planked top with pine boards. Her plan calls for 2 inch boards and I used 1 inch boards but it turned out great and I love it. And I bought new chairs from walmart.com to go with it. I'm a beginner woodworker and have only made a few small projects but this one was manageable for me. I love love love my new table!
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Including wood, screws, primer, paint, stain, poly, sandpaper, and brushes, just under $100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
On the tabletop: Minwax Dark Walnut oil-based wood stain (used wood conditioner first) and then 3 coats of Minwax Semi-Gloss Polyurethane. For the stain, I brushed it on with a foam brush, let sit 15 minutes and then wiped excess off with a rag. Only one application was needed for a nice deep warm color. On the table bottom and legs: Valspar Dark Kettle Black semi-gloss paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner