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I'm happy to finally admit, thanks to this I Spy series here, Monday has now become one of my favorite days of the week! I spend all week hunting for a project to feature. That's the easy part. The hard part is choosing from hundreds of killer DIY projects. I like to choose a project I think is the most mind blowing. A project that makes me say "WOW!" (with the jaw-drop and everything).
This week I stumbled on Kristin's brilliant blog – The Hunted Interior. I can't believe it took me this long to find her blog! She was recently featured on Centsational Girl's BOTB for her cinder block planter DIY. Serves me right for not clicking thru! Kristin is a pro (literally!) at high end design on a budget, and she has wowed us again with this mastermind DIY! I must give her a thousand thank-you's for letting me feature her project on this week's I Spy installment.
Let's check out Kristin's project…
ZOMG YES! Kristin DIYed this live edge table! It looks so professional, and REAL. You'd think she paid a few thousand bucks for it! Kristin and her hubby make it look so easy too. My hands are shaking, I think I need to DIY this too.
It all started when the glass top on Kristin's outdoor table crashed and shattered. She and her husband immediately decided to make a new one. They took 2 large pieces of pine, with a narrower piece in the middle, and joined them using liquid nails. Then they glued and screwed a couple scrap pieces of wood on the bottom side to secure the top pieces.
Kristin and her husband also decided to add an ice bucket in the center of the table. You can see the bucket above, but check out her tutorial to see how they got that guy in place. So smart!
Now for the fun part! Kristin grabbed her belt sander (one of those tools just chillin' on my wish-list) and went to town! Belt sanders are SUPER powerful and can tear through any piece of wood. The perfect tool to create this faux live edge!
Next, Kristin pre-conditioned the wood to avoid any blotchiness when staining. Then she stained the entire table, which she says "brought the edges to life!" Once the stain was dry, she sealed the entire table, top and bottom, with 4 coats of varnish.
Lastly, Kristin and her husband attached the table to the base with some thick metal braces. This step ensures the table wouldn't go anywhere!
Gorgeous! Now Kristin and her family can enjoy outdoor eating in style! You'd think this table stepped out of a West Elm catalogue!
And that ice bucket! SO Smart!
Check out that detail. These edges looks alive to me!
Kristin used this image above has her inspiration for her table. Remarkable results, right? Seriously, she is a pro.
Wow, right?! Kristin is amazingly talented, to say the least. Check out her blog, especially her tutorials and "Get This Look" design pages, you'll be hooked!
