Dining Table Makeover

Our once lovely black dining table has been through one too many moves and has left it in sad condition. I have wanted to refinish since our last move (over a year ago) but between kids, sicknesses, money and (probably the number one reason) my indecision, I didn't tackle the project until now. 

Not only do the scratches and paint all over it drive me crazy but the CREVICES in the design of the table are enough to drive me mad. I know I am a little OCD, so the crumbs and who knows what in those crevices was enough to get me to refinish this and fill them in.

I REALLY wanted the wood filler to stay in place so I sanded in all the crevices, crazy, I know. 

The most tedious part for me was filling in those crevices.  It didn't go in as smoothly as I was hoping and it is hard to push that stuff out!

However, well worth it. No more crumbs in the table.

Then it was time for sanding. . . 

and more sanding. . . 

and more sanding.

I went with the darkest stain and primer in one they had. I have never worked with stain but the directions on the paint made it pretty simple. I LOVE the outcome. I think the table can get dinged and scratched and just add to the character of it.

A side not about the chairs. I had intentions of painting them yellow or blue or white or some color, but found these awesome, retro, fun, stackable chairs at Target and that was that.

I put my chairs up on craigslist and the next day there were sold . . . I almost had an even trade but by the time I invested my time and money on paint, I figured I got the better end of the deal.

Now for this black bookcase behind the table that USED to match it. . . white, yellow, blue?? Suggestions?

linking up to these parties:

craftomaniac, dittle dattle, between naps on the porch, stories from a2z, not just a housewife,  tip junkie, sugar bee, blue cricket design, night owl crafting, somewhat simple, house of hepworths,tater tots and jello, at the picket fence, remodelaholic, whipperberry, addicted 2 decorating, funky junk, i heart naptime, diy showoff, just a girl, the shabby nest, under the table & dreaming, be different act normal