Painted farmhouse kitchen tables have been a favorite table style for American homes. Today’s farmhouse tables are often constructed using reclaimed wood. Sources for reclaimed wood include old barns, pickle barrels, wine vats, granaries and other sources of vintage wood. Painted farm tables are not simply tables, but places family memories occur. Tables become heirlooms passed from one generation to another.The wood used on these painted tables creates an instantaneous antique. As this wood has withstood time and aged gracefully, tables created have a simple, yet classic beauty. The use of reclaimed wood allows for a weathered look to tables as well as a unique wood pattern. Imagine a table that bears the hand-hewed marks of a farmer from more than a hundred years ago. Instant antiquity in a new table is created using this wood.
Woods used in these kitchen tables are solid thick pieces of fine wood such as figured maple, white oak and black walnut. Wood undergoes a complete process to remove any materials such as nails and re-cut to expose the beautiful patterns of the wood. Wood is treated by heating in kilns or other heating devices to ensure any potential fungus, insects and molds are removed. The distressed look of the wood can be created using two methods; the second method provides a finer appearance. The first method is the use of hammers and chains across the surface of the wood to create a distressed look. The second method requires additional time, but the result is a table top with an exquisite look. A woodworker will scrap by hand areas that appear to have wood rot until rot is removed and a layer of beautiful wood is exposed.
Once the wood is prepared, the wood is assembled into a table top that contains all the natural beauty and signs of aged wood. The surface is sanded, hand painted and waxed. Whatever style chosen for the painted farmhouse table, a solid beautiful table has been created. The use of reclaimed wood for kitchen farm tables serves several purposes. With the use of wood from trees already chopped and processed, this practice is eco-friendly. The fine hardwoods of the past are preserved in other forms for enjoyment by family and for years to come. Buyers have a one of a kind piece of American history.
