$2,965 table for $100

This weekend's project was an outdoor dining table. We wanted something hefty and "rustic" that would look great and seat eight. We also wanted a table that would not take much maintenance and if it got dinged or "slightly" damaged no one would really care.

"A" found this really great website, Ana-White, that has plans for all kinds of building projects. A store by the name of Restoration Hardware has really nice merchandise at really high end prices. But the ana-white website shows you how to build the exact same thing for a fraction of the cost.

The table we liked was a Provence beam dining table and Restoration Hardware had it for $2,965 (on sale). However the ana-white website has detailed instructions on how to build the exact same thing. She used 2x4s for the legs and supports but we modified it with 4x4s.

The top is 2x6, underneath support is 2x4 and 1x3 and the legs and struts are 4x4. Everything is Douglas Fir construction grade. We decided to use this type of wood since it was going to be outside/exposed to the elements and it was really inexpensive. When we build our indoor dining table we will use a higher finish wood and ensure it is kiln dried.

Lumber cost was $80 and the six lag (1/2"x 6") screws were about $20. This was another modification we used because we liked the look and wanted to over build the table. We did not have to buy the other screws that were used because we already had them from other projects. In all fairness, if we had to buy everything for the table it would have been slightly more expensive

Our Friends came over to help us out again and it took about four hours to build it. We still need to sand it and stain/protect the finish but over all it was time well spent.