White farmhouse table DIY

Be it for the holidays, or for year-round use, everyone needs a white farmhouse table they can gather around. While not everyone has the budget for a big new one, we like to think that up-cycling an existing piece, or finding one for a project like this, is exactly where Homestead House Milk Paint comes in.

What you need to paint a white Farmhouse Table

Homestead House milk paint in Limestone
Furniture Wax
Bonding Agent aka Ultra Grip
Sandpaper (180 and 400 grit)

White Farmhouse Table DIY

While we think this project looks fantastic on a round table, these techniques and colour would look great on any wood table. Find one that suits your needs and your budget. Your local marketplace and thrift stores even ebay are great places to look.

For this project, we’re starting with this lovely thrift find.

This table aims for a contrast between the tabletop and the base, so there are two different processes at work. You could easily opt for just one, but we think the beauty lies in the differences.

How to DIY a White Farmhouse Table

Start by applying one coat of milk paint “Limestone“. Apply it using continuous, long, brush strokes from one end of the table to the other.

Once it’s dry, you’ll sand the top with a really fine grit sandpaper (400 grit) almost burnishing the paint into the wood. You are then left with the smoothest and most durable sheen.

Painting the base of the table

If your surface isn’t raw wood, to avoid the paint from falling off, or the “chippy look”, start by adding Bonding Agent to your milk paint for the first coat. You’ll then apply 2/3 coats of milk paint, and distress lightly with a 180 grit sandpaper to bring out the beautiful details.

Painting farmhouse chairs

To really capture the essence of the farmhouse white table style, we opted for lots of chippy goodness on the chairs! They’ll get more wear and tear naturally, so helping them along completes the look and provides a “well-loved” finish.

To get the look, paint as usual and then sand. You may want to add a wax resist to be able to force the chipping. Just apply a thin layer first and apply the paint right over the top. This is a resistance the paint won’t adhere well to those areas which will give you the ‘chippy’ finish.

Sealing your Milk Paint

To make sure all your hard work lasts, use our Furniture Wax to seal. Apply with a brush or a clean rag, really rubbing it into the surface. Allow it to sit for 15+ minutes and buff it with a clean rag to a soft subtle lustre. If there is chipping, you may want to use the clear Tough Coat by Fusion Mineral Paint. This seals and stops it from chipping anymore.

Farmhouse-style Table & Chairs

With this beautiful white farmhouse table set, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t want to enjoy a good meal, play a board game, or just catch up while seated at this table. This table was made for Sunday mornings, with hot coffee and fresh pastries.

The white tabletop is inviting and warm, and the chairs look like they’re seen many people come and go. How else would you perfectly capture the farmhouse style? Using milk paint for this project meant we could finish it in one day. It only takes 30 mins to cure, so re-coat time is reduced a lot!