A Cheap IKEA Table Became a Farmhouse Living Room Accent. How?

Monika and her husband are just over thirty, happily married, and live in a separate house in the American countryside. The young couple loves modern European design with references to Provence and farmhouse style. Many things are made by hand: the guiding idea and inspirational source is Monika, while her husband does the actual work. "I'm not a logger or carpenter," he laughs. "My only talent is that I'm not afraid to do something I've never done before."

Let's get started. Step 1 — something you've never done before

It's unlikely that you've ever bought two identical IKEA dining tables. But it's time to do just that! They are very affordable, but you'll learn how to join and finish tables so they look like those luxurious dining areas in Scandinavian and French interiors. And yes, these are the familiar IKEA INGUST tables.

Step 2 — increasing the surface area: this table will fit everyone

Join two IKEA INGUST tables together. Create an intermediate layer between the table and the tabletop using pine boards. It doesn't matter what kind they are: the top boards will be covered by the tabletop.

Step 3 — cutting the dream tabletop

Cut boards for your future tabletop. It will have two horizontal boards on the short sides, and the rest — vertical. Make all calculations and cut the boards to size.

Step 4 — sanding the surface

Smooth the boards, slightly rounding the edges to give the tabletop a finished look.

Step 5 — check and fastening

Lay the boards in place. Look at your future table: do you like everything about it? If all is well, attach each board to the bottom of the table with screws. The screws should be long enough to hold the table together but not so long as to go through it.

Step 6 — hiding the evidence

To make sure no one guesses that this table was once IKEA, you must hide the crime scene: namely, the middle layer of transverse boards. Measure and cut four pine planks to match the sides of the table. Attach these planks on each side under the wide top boards, hiding the frame.

Step 7 — optional

If you wish, you can age your table to make it truly "farmhouse". The creators of this DIY project, while working, kept placing on the wood: screws, washers, bolts, various tools. They were constantly pressing these items slightly into the boards. Later, when they coated them with varnish, it became clear why this was done.

Step 8 — invite guests and enjoy the effect

Will anyone ever guess that this table was made from IKEA?