After I built my table (the farmhouse/tryde), my sister wanted a table for her new home. She had looked online and found a table that someone had refurbished from an old table, and put a new top on it..
So once she described it to me, I got started. I again used 2x4s glued/screwed together for the legs. Then I got 2x8 and start putting them down. Since these are such big boards, you have to be extremely careful not to get ones that aren't straight. If they are warped, they will make your table wobbly once you screw them down. After I finally got past that, I began staining.
For the distressed-ish look, I used Rustoleum's water-based Kona stain. I stained each board and then use a wire brush to "scruff" the boards up a bit. From there, I sanded the tops with a combination of 60 grit and 220 grit. I used Rustoleum's matte-finish poly to give it a very soft feel and look.
This table compares best with the farmhouse.