Bliss Barracks Lanai Makeover: Outdoor Dining Table

Of all the projects we completed for the lanai makeover at Bliss Barracks the outdoor dining table was the project I was most nervous about and the most excited about too.

My Mom really wanted an outdoor dining table with a wood top, but I had no idea how in the world my Dad was going to make one from the existing outdoor table.  Especially given he had to adhere a piece of wood to the top of the old table which already had a mix of granite and metal tiles on it.

See what I mean?

I needn’t have worried about it though because by the time I arrived at Bliss Barracks, my Dad had no only already figured it out he also ha already made the tabletop.  As you can see here, he brought together multiple pieces of cypress together and sanded them smooth for the top,

then he used a technique called edge banding for the sides,

but left the bottom hollow – so the new tabletop fits right over the old one seamlessly.

I mean, it totally looks like a brand new table now, right? You would never know that crazy granite and metal checkerboard pattern were even underneath this tabletop!

Once the outdoor dining table top was in place, it was up to me to create the look of European Oak. The thing is, I’ve never tried it on cypress before.  I’ve tried it on oak before and even on pine when we were trying to cover up the air conditioner return for the laundry room at Loblolly Manor but never on a wood as light as cypress.

 

Traditionally a diy European Oak finish, starts out with a coat of ASCP in French Linen and is then layered with a coat of ASCP in Pure White before adding a final layer of AS Dark Furniture Paste Wax.  But this dining room tabletop was o smooth *like glass almost* that there was not any nooks or crannies for the different layers of paint to settle into. So, I decided to experiment with a wash of Deco Art’s Chalky Paint in Primitive.

If you’re not familiar with a paint wash, it’s equal parts paint and water.  It still deposits the paint and color onto the piece of furniture you’re working on but still allows the woodgrain to show through which is what we wanted most.

As you can see here, it almost had a pickled or a bleached wood look once the Primitive had completely dried.

After I applied the wash and allowed it to dry, I added a coat of clear furniture paste wax with a wax brush and it really brought out more of the gray of the paint.

Next, I applied a coat of dark furniture paste wax also with a wax brush and the details of the wood grain really started coming out!

I always recommend using a wax brush when doing projects that have a large surface area like this over using a cloth to apply the wax because you can control how much wax is going into the wood or paint better and it’s a lot easier on your arms too.

To buff, I used an old tee shirt, but I usually like to use a brush for buffing too.  It makes for a cleaner finish, in my opinion.

Just word of caution, be careful when you’re blending the dark furniture paste wax into the edges of dining table or say the top of a piece of furniture. It’s really easy to see the lines where you start and stop.

The same thing goes for the corners and edges, so take your time and blend well.

Since the table has been freshly waxed it’s a bit shinier in this photo than it is in rea life now that the wax has had a few weeks to cure.  Depending on the wax you choose it might take longer than that so be sure to read the instruction on the back of your wax can for additional information.

I shared the hutch makeover a few weeks ago but you can already see what a big difference it made on the lanai by just changing out the top on the outdoor dining table.

My Mom hated the checkerboard top on the old table so much I had almost forgotten what it looked like because she constantly kept it covered up with a tablecloth.  Here’s another look at the table before though…

and after…

I know, we think the transformation is totally bananas too! This outdoor dining table really does make the whole space.  As I shared yesterday, I’m still going through all the photos I took from the lanai reveal post but for now here’s a sneak peek at how we set the table….

Do you guys like to eat outside when the weather is nice? I’ll see you back here tomorrow with a look at the progress we’ve made on the bedroom makeover as we end Week 3 of the One Room Challenge. Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo