The Prettiest Table That You Ever Did See

At this very moment, I am typing my little heart out, while sitting outside under our COMPLETED PERGOLA! I have been wanting to do this ALL SUMMER and it's actually happening! Who knows how long I'll last before the mosquitos go insane, and I retreat once again to the living room. But until then, I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it.

Every blogger's backyard oasis needs a sturdy foundation to prop their computer. Or more practically speaking, every normal person who wants to eat outside needs a place to set their plate! So of course while planning our paradise, we searched high and low for the perfect table. While nothing on sale struck our fancy, Eric did find this tutorial on how to build one himself. It seemed easy enough (according to him), and even had built-in drink coolers stored down the center you could fill with ice! 

Per his create-something-out-of-nothing M.O., I came home one day after work and THIS was sitting behind the house. 

Table? Check. Now how to finish it??? 
Call me crazy, but right from the moment I saw it I knew this table needed to be two-toned. Dark wood on top, crisp white contrast on bottom. To figure out the stain, I mocked up a few different versions with Photoshop. In the end, I decided going with something similar to the pergola stain would look the best with the teal and black furniture we had already picked out. 

Another idea that hit me was to paint a little something going right down the middle. A faux table-runner if you will. Since I already drew a pattern on our mini-awkward-bathroom wall (which I consider a fabulous success) the decision to take that same design to this project was a simple one.

The pattern is broken down into 4 basic stages; big flowers, vines, small leaves, and dots. 

Eric wanted the paint to have plenty of time to dry overnight, so he could start applying the protective varnish right away in the morning. This meant I had ONE EVENING to start and finish the entire table. Good thing he brought me a Diet Coke and bug spray.

This is probably one of the best examples of how Eric and I's DIY relationship works. We plan it, he builds it, and I swoop in to make it pretty.

The two teal chairs are originally from Target, but we snagged them for a fraction of the price on an auction site called Fast Track It. The four matching black chairs were a lucky find on Craigslist, and the candles came from Mendards. 

I'm not sure how many layers of varnish Eric ended up using, but luckily it didn't discolor the white paint at all. We plan to cover it, along with the rest of our furniture, as much as possible to protect from the elements, but the varnish will keep unwanted water rings and scratches at bay. 

The final product is literally EXACTLY how I envisioned, and hands down one of the COOLEST before and afters our little nest has ever seen. Well...until I get to talking about our backyard as a whole. Now THAT is a pretty epic transformation, STAY TUNNED! 

Check out all of our home improvements, by visiting the OUR NEST page.