This table is my final dining room project. I picked up this at a thrift store for 120 chf. I passed by it several times and by some miracle spotted it under a pile of other furniture. My girlfriend who what with me at the time was delighted and convinced that this was a great deal with great potential. I honestly was not completely sure but after searching for days I took the plunge, and wow, I am glad I did!

The table is big – and solid wood. The leaves were different colors, obviously they had been tucked into the table for years and the sun faded the top.

We decided we would keep some wood and make it darker to try and make sure that we could correct the color discrepancies. As I mentioned in this post about the hutch that we had a horrible experience with our attempts to be environmentally friendly by using some eco product. After a lot of work and re-work, we abandoned the environmental cause for good-ole-chemically-enhanced stain and in one shot- JOB DONE. Sorry- its the truth. Originally I had planned on using the Annie Sloan Dark Wax on the table base and parts of the hutch, but after distressing I was happy with the way the finished… I may change my mind and add more distressing or way to the table base at some point, what do you think?

On the base I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in OLD WHITE, just like on the rest of the pieces. It works great and is so easy to use. I really love it. That said, I am looking for a homemade recipe or a powder mix that will be comparable. The ASCP is not easy to get here in Switzerland and like everywhere else, is a premium price. Any suggestions? Any one using Websters, or Plaster of Paris recipes? Leave a comment or email me tips!