After we bought our house we were really strapped for cash…we had to figure out how to  furnish our home on a pretty tight budget. Mike and I have been lucky enough to both be blessed with very generous parents (most of our furniture is hand me downs from them!)   My parents graciously gifted us with this beauty of a set…A butcher block table, 4 chairs, a bench, and an old pine hutch:

You might be questioning my sanity right now….fear not – I’m half kidding. Upon a second look – you really can see the beauty. The clean lines of the solid wood chairs – and the rare gem of a pure butcher block table. Instead of investing in pricey new furniture we gave the dated  furniture a quick face lift with some fresh white paint and lively canary yellow chair cushions. We also had the solid butcher block table top cut down about 2 feet to fit our smaller dining room. Ta-Da!

It was easier said than done though, the chairs were so old they were covered with a layer of waxy dirt which meant they needed a serious sanding and priming. But really, talk about a great makeover for next to nothing.  The color is Ralph Lauren Tea Tree – but it was no additional cost to me since we purchased a gallon of the stuff back when we were painting this summer. It’s really funny for me, seeing the furniture I grew up with as a kid now in my very own home as an adult.. my how the tables have turned – hard to believe! It’s even harder to believe its actually the same set!