Sit, Eat & Enjoy

Farmhouse benches team up with an antique table for occasions both elegant and casual

One of the nice things about bench-style seating is the way it brings people closer, creating a special intimacy. So what better place to put a pair of settees than on either side of a dining table? That was the seating solution for this kitchen dining area, where family and friends gather ’round an old farmhouse table that can be set for all purposes. For casual, everyday meals, the long table dresses down nicely, but when the evening calls for crystal, silver and china, it easily rises to the occasion, providing an elegant base for fine dining.

Starting out as unfinished furniture, the maple settees were given a bold shot of colour with Minwax^® Water Based Wood Stain in Accents™ Hunter Green and then topcoated with Minwax^® Polycrylic^® Protective Finish in  a striking gloss sheen. After being stripped of ancient paint, the antique table needed only light sanding before being stained with Minwax^® Wood Finish™ Ipswich Pine to add a warm richness over the whole piece. Then it was protected with Minwax^® Fast-Drying Polyurethane in a semi-gloss sheen. Together, the smart seating and the classic table make a dining duo that’s as versatile as it is good-looking.

Project Pointers

• If you buy a painted antique that you want to return to its original natural wood state, find a company that only uses a cold stripping process. High-temperature stripping can damage wood and loosen joints.
• Before staining a piece of unfinished furniture, be sure to lightly sand it with 220-grit sandpaper to get ultimate smoothness. Staining may raise the grain in places, but don’t sand again until after you’ve applied the first coat of protective clear finish.