I was able to put a coat of primer on the top of the picnic table, I may end up having to drag this thing in my house to work on it!
Remember the oil spill on the top? Well the oil is seeping through the primer. I'm wondering if one more coat might help seal it better? I did try to use the kitty litter to soak it up, but that oil isn't budging. It does look very pretty white though. Now I need to do the legs and put a coat of paint on it. I had originally thought I was going to drill a hole in the top of it and put an umbrella through it, but I've changed my mind. I'm going to just get a big umbrella and buy some chairs and bench seating to put around under the umbrella. I think it will function better that way and look much nicer.
I am debating on getting this umbrella from Pottery Barn.
The only thing is, the stand the umbrella goes in costs about $100.00. I'm wondering if this pole is a regular size pole and would fit in any stand that I can buy somewhere else? I know the way PB makes their lamps, they have it fixed so you can't buy the lamp shades somewhere else, you have to buy theirs to fit the base and vice versa. Does anyone have any idea about these PB umbrellas if they will fit in just any stand?
I found this table while I was blog hopping and love how they painted the blue stripe down the middle. I was thinking of doing something similar with my picnic table. My original plan was to paint it white.
Photo from Elle Decor found on Fresh Nest Design.
I'm not sure about all the bright colors though, I am always so drawn to the calming peacefulness of whites and organic materials like in the photo below.
Photo from Decor Pad.
If you haven't checked out Decor Pad, it's a great site to browse for inspiration. You can go to the search bar there and from the pull down menu, choose photos, then type in any word or room you're looking for and it gives you so many beautiful decorated spaces to browse.
This is how I get ideas for my home, I just browse decor sites and blogs and get a feel for what i want. The pic above from Decor Pad gives me a feel of calm when I look at it, so I know I want to create that calm on my deck. I won't copy it, but will create something of my own to elicit that same *feel*.
Taking design quizzes can also help you nail down your own special style. This one from Sproost is good. My answers to the quiz was 40% French Eclectic, 40% Nantucket Style and 20% Rustic Revival. I think that about hits the nail on the head.
Oh and one more thing, here's my next little project.
Fixing up this old table.
What color do you think I'm going to paint it?
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11 comments:
oh, sorry that the oil seems to be seeping thru. Fingers crossed it is taken care of with the 2nd coat of primer. Yeah, mosquitoes are awful this year and my Off Skintastic is not deterring them in the slightest, ugh.
I browse decor blogs, Rate my Space (I just make sure I use the top rated tab to save time) and Houzz.com-- I am constantly saving pics and emailing them to myself. It's a sickness I tell ya!
If the oil still shows, maybe you can paint it to look like your dresser/nightstand? Dark on top, white on the bottom?? GOOD LUCK!
Did you find that little table for your chair by the fireplace? I am not very patient when it comes to waiting! :)
I purchased a PB umbrella around this time last year. I got it for a song! It was originally over $100, I paid $35. I went to the local hardware store to purchase my stand. It was $24 on sale. The PB umbrella has a point at the end of it, which fits into any stand, but we have serious wind where we live in WI. I had my husband hack off the point, which was maybe 1-2 inches off the bottom. Now it's more secure. (We screw off the umbrella part and just leave the bottom portion in the stand.) I'm kind of particular about the umbrella fading!
Love your home. Your style is so soothing and looks very welcoming! Makes me miss my old house with character.
~Sarah in WI
Jill, no I haven't found the table yet! lol There aren't a lot of places to search for one in this small town, I may have to go up to Virginia and check out some antique stores up there.
Sarah, Thanks so much for the info about the umbrella. I may go ahead and purchase it then. I'm wanting the white umbrella so I won't have to worry about fading I guess, I am worried however about a bird flying over and doing his business on it :p
You'll just have to jump in the new jeep and go out hunting!
Hi to fellow Wisconsinite Sarah-- I have broken 2 patio umbrellas because I forgot to lower them in storms. One flew across the street!
Have you considered checking out any PB umbrellas that might be for sale on Craigslist? You might find an owner willing to sell the umbrella and the stand separately?
Or if there are other umbrella stands online, maybe the owners would let you bring your PB one to their house and try it out?
Have you tried Killz primer on the table top? I've had good luck with that in the past. In my last house, a crazy former owner used a dark cherry-colored Minwax wood stain to do a crazy faux finish on all the plaster walls in the living room, dining room and entry. It was terrible, but the Killz didn't let anything seep through and the new latex paint covered beautifully.
As for umbrellas, I was able to pick one up last year for $20 (not PB) at a discount store. The only thing is, the wooden pole has vertical cracks in it this year, probably from the extreme heat and then rain we had last summer/early fall. You probably get what you pay for...but I still love it!
Lemon grass is great for detering mossies. You can pick up fresh lemongrass from your local supermarket and believe it or not it will grow on the window sill. here;s a recipe for making insect repellent using lemongrass: http://journeytoforever.org/edu_homer.html
I think you'll paint it white, but I think green would look nice. :-)
Babs, I live in such a small town, there isn't a craigs list for my city, I would probably have to drive to a larger city if something was posted. One of the great things about living in Atlanta, so many resources at your finger tips. I will check out the nearest city's Craigslist and see what they have though, thanks!
Amy, I used Zinsser 123 Bullseye primer, which is suppose to be pretty heavy duty. If one more coat doesn't work, I will check into the Kilz, I've heard good things about it, too. Thanks for the rec.
Lavender, I love Lemon grass. I actually have a bunch of Lemon grass seeds, but I assumed they wouldn't grow here since it doesn't stay warm for very long. I didn't realize it would grow on the window seal, very good to know!
I've found that outdoor umbrella stands are a standard size to accommodate the shafts of different umbrellas. The one I have has a fastener (a large bolt) that will hold an umbrella shaft firmly.
As for the oil on your picnic table, you might need to take a belt sander to it to remove the stain and then re-prime. I hope a second coat of primer works, though.
I like the blue stripe idea on the table; however, I would stick with white for a while. You will know in a year if you NEED that stripe. The thing is...since you love to decorate, you just KNOW you will start collecting outdoor items in different color schemes for your moods & seasons & as you get going on the outdoors.
It would be a bummer if you had a blue stripe going down your table...came up with a genius outdoor table idea, and had to alter the plan because of that darn blue stripe.
Bonjour, Sebast Here, I like this place I could definitely get involved here.
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