DIY Ping Pong Table
When we got ready to start decorating my parent’s house we were faced with a dilemma. We needed a large dining table. To be more precise, we needed a table for 15. The problem was that the dining room wasn’t THAT big. Meanwhile, my parents were envisioning happy family gatherings around a large dining table on a perfect lazy Sunday afternoon. So, of course, I could not crush that little dream of theirs. After 300 plus opinions, we decided to do a round dining table at the “official” dining room for smaller dinner gatherings and breakfast. We then took advantage of the large living room and decided to transform that room into a living room combined with a dining room and a game room as well. Once we had a goal, we started our search for a dining table that could fit 15. It turns out, it is nearly impossible to find such table. But back in my dark attic, an old table sat there quietly, waiting patiently amongst boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations and Halloween costumes. A couple of years ago, we carefully placed my old dining table in the attic despite our strict attic rule. We do have very strict rules about this attic of ours. And by we, I really mean Alex. The rule is simple, very simple. Nothing goes in the attic. According to Alex, the attic can only store seasonal items. Things that stay there for a while but come downstairs once in a while to say a quick hello. But my old table, oh, I could not let that one go. Her legs were just too good-looking. Skinny and shiny, and oh, so metallic! I knew that if I saved it in the forbidden attic for a couple of years, one day she would come downstairs to show off her legs again. And I had just found the perfect opportunity.
With its beautiful legs, we now just needed a beautiful top to go with it. The top of the old dining room table was in terrible shape and the table currently could fit only 8 people. If we squeezed a little, maybe 10. So we needed a large dining table top and a pretty one as well. Alex and I usually go to a local store to get our hands on some beautiful and exotic wood for our projects. They are awesome and they always do a great job. Since this table was so big, we chose the simple but elegant poplar wood to save on costs. To jazz up that simplicity we decided to stain a few parts of the table with a dark walnut color to create some contrast and interest. It was like painting on a blank canvas. Except it was wood and stain, and to be honest, I wasn’t so sure if it was going to turn out any good. We tried some designs on the back side first. Once we build up our confidence we gave it a try. After we finished staining parts of the table top we called my parents to the garage and they were all oohs and aahs. To avoid overdoing, we stopped right then and moved on to the benches.
We ended up with some leftover wood pieces from the lumber store, so we decided to use these pieces to create two benches. I feel like benches will always fit an extra person or two and I really like the streamlined look it gives to a space. For the top of the benches, we used the wood top from the old dining table. Lots of sanding happened in that garage. After everything was put together, we coated all wood with polyurethane to add protection and give the table top just a touch of shine.
Now the best part of this project is the size of the table. Measuring nine feet by five feet, the large dining table can also be used as a ping-pong table. Once dinner is done, we can now share many competitive ping-pong encounters. The place is looking great. We still need rugs, and art, and accessories. But it already feels like home. Once this room is more finished, I will post more pictures here. But now, let’s go play some ping-pong!
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1 comment
This looks great! What size boards did you buy for this and how did you bind them together. What would you suggest to make this table for outdoor/weatherproof use?
Thanks