How to Build a Country-Style Kitchen Table

A kitchen table in a country kitchen is often a favorite family hangout. Build your own country-style kitchen table using reclaimed barn wood, an old wooden door or thick, wide planks. The rustic aspect of a country kitchen should not be ignored; distress new planks with chains or a distress board to make the wood look worn. Stain the finished table in warm tones to coordinate with the cabinets in your country kitchen. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Cut 10-inch-wide-by-2-inch-thick wood boards to the desired length of your kitchen table. Cut as many boards as you need to create the desired width of the table. For example, if you want a 40-inch-wide table, cut four boards to the desired length.

Sand both sides and the edges of the wood boards with an orbital hand sander using medium-grade sandpaper. Always sand with the grain. Remove the debris and sand all surfaces again, using light-grade sandpaper. Remove the debris.

2

Sand the four table legs with light-grade sandpaper by hand.

3

Distress one side of the wood boards and all four table legs by striking them with various sizes of chain links. You can also use hammers and a distress board made with nails and screws to create imperfections in the wood. If distressing the wood caused splinters to appear, remove them with the medium sandpaper.

4

Wipe each board and the legs with a damp cloth to remove the debris left from sanding and distressing.

5

Stain both sides and the edges of each board separately to coordinate with your country decor. Stain the table legs to match. Always stain in the direction of the grain. After staining, coat the same surfaces with several layers of polyurethane.

6

Place the boards, distressed side down, on a flat surface. Make sure that the ends are flush. Attach a metal bracket strip across the boards to join them together You can also use a 2-inch-square wood strip, but make sure to stain it first.

7

Attach one table leg in each corner of the table top using wood screws or small L-brackets.