Faux Plank Farmhouse Table

Yep, I faux planked our dining table. I have been bored with it for a while but hubby wouldn't let me touch it. So, after he went to work one day, I did my thing, hoping he wouldn't notice. ;)

Here is how our table looked before ...

When we purchased it 4 years ago, we painted half of it white. 4 years later and there are numerous scratches on top and varnish flaking off. I sanded a patch to see what type of wood was underneath, but that was extra messy so stripping and re-staining was out. 

When in doubt, get out the chalk paint! 

I have been wanting a farmhouse planked table top for ages. But I haven't found hardwood planks readily available or cheap. So I decided to faux it. :)

After applying 3 coats of white chalk paint I gave the table a good sand, distressing the edges.

Then I got out the tape measure and penciled on my plank lines. I used a wooden ruler and the sharp edge of a metal paint scrapper to cut into the wood and mark out the lines. This left a small groove in the table to add to the authenticity. 

Then I used 60 grit sandpaper down each slit to make them look a bit wider and more roughed up.

Finally I sanded flat down each line to get a bit more distressing on each "plank".

Then I distressed the edges a bit more, and lastly gave the whole table another sand with 220 grit sandpaper.

To seal and protect I decided to go with a few coats of flat clear varnish. 

I plan to paint the legs in white chalk paint too, as well as the chairs and their seats. And hopefully hubby will build me a bench seat to go along one side. After he gets over the shock of course. ;)

:) Julie

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