Remember when I shared my husband and I refurbishing a vintage camper?

Doing projects together is no joke. It sometimes puts both of you in awkward situations. It makes you learn new skills and problem solve together. Maybe it will cause you to carry deodorant everywhere you go, or a first aid kit.

Occasionally the projects are very stressful, and you have to know your partner in order to complete them. Being intuitive to the needs of your spouse is an asset. If you don’t know if you have this gift, a project will be the best place to figure it out.

We have done a lot of projects over 25 years.  Bathroom remodels, living room wallpaper, adding living space in an existing attic and kitchen cabinets to name a few. When you commit to marriage, there is a lot of opportunity. Homeownership alone provides some of the most ordinary projects. Most people can DIY if they can read and use basic tools.

Somehow, we have surpassed basic household repairs. Over the past year, we have undertaken a few small projects. We painted the living room. We decided to simplify our living space. We bought a recliner and mom gifted us a couch. There hasn’t been anything on the walls in our living room since November.

We built shutters last spring. We replaced the kitchen cabinets 2 springs ago and rearranged some things. We painted and rearranged the office space. We created a space for the grandbabies to do artwork and keep the “big girl stuff” away from the babies. We always have a full list of to-do’s and projects.

There was one project I was really mulling over. I have a Pinterest page and a lot of it is dedicated to dreamy things for our space. We have the old farmhouse. We have the comforts of modern day. We also have grit, determination, and tools. We built a dining room table.

After months of looking at plans and ideas, we finally decided what would work best. I bought a Kreg tool so I could make pockets for screws. I love it. It was made simple with this tool. Get one. I am buying the big one next. We went to the hardware store and purchased our materials..

 

 

It was nerve-wracking. I kept remembering my dads best advice for everything in life. “Measure twice, cut once.” I have used this more than my fair share- it can be applied to woodworking for sure, but it has been most valuable with my words.

The frame only took an evening to construct. The base is made of cast pipe. Since our table is 8 feet long, we decided a center support was a good idea.

The top took a few days, mostly due to the layers of stain and poly. Our table is 8 feet long. We stained it dark-Minwax American Chestnut Gloss PolyStain- to contrast our light floors.It’s a combination stain and polyurethane. It was easy to apply and went on evenly with a brush.

We can fit 10 people, comfortably. (12-14 if we choose to squeeze.) We have planned on short saddle style stools and chairs in combination. The flexibility of space is a top priority. We need chairs with backs for booster seats and older adults.

A dining room table has been on my bucket list for a long time. I hope all the skills my dad taught us and all our cooperative learning from past projects pay off. I want this table to last. I want it to be a place where my people can grow together.

It is so fulfilling to build something with your own hands. It is positively rewarding to build it with your spouse. Marriage therapy at its finest. I hope you enjoy these pictures of the process as much as we enjoyed building it.