The dining table makeover.

I've been thinking about getting a new dining table. I've seen a nice, big pine, farmhouse style one that I like. But then I wondered if we had enough space for it. And then thought about the damage that the kids cause on a regular basis. The reason I got this second hand pine one was because I wouldn't have to be too concerned about the glitter, glue and other mess made on it. But I'd been thinking it looked tatty. A few months ago I revarnished it, but it soon looked tatty again. I recently painted the fire surround white and then later on - inspired by the Cherry Menlove blog painted our dark dresser. Pleased with the results and how light the room now looks, I was also tempted to paint the dining table. Cherry Menlove has done this and hers looks fab. So I thought I might as well give it a go. I like it. I'm not sure if it will stay nice for long. Somebody has already accidentally drawn on it with pencil. It does wipe clean easily and I have the leftover paint handy for when I need to touch up. I also brought in an old white bench from the garden which was in a really sorry state. So I have painted that too and plopped a few cushions on it for the kids to sit on. The Christmas tree is up now and we certainly could not fit in a bigger table now. But if, next year I find it is too high maintenance, I'll reconsider buying a new one. For now, though, we'll make the most of what we have.

If you fancy looking at some really splendid makeovers, take a look at the Cherry Menlove site: www.cherrymenlove.com