My pals are like sisters to me. They are near and dear to my heart and I adore each and every one of them. We’ve been through lots of life transitions together, with the most recent one being becoming first-time home owners. Because a good portion of us now own humble abodes, we are always swapping decor finds, home improvement stories and tips.

 With that said, I’m over the moon excited to introduce you to my dear friend Jess. She’s a talented teacher, a mother of one darling girl with another baby on the way, and her and her husband(Justin) are fixing up their 1950′s ranch style home. She’s constantly trying to balance her husband’s very modern taste with her more traditional style. Jess is doing a wonderful job of balancing both design styles and she’s graciously allowing me to share the DIY outdoor dining table they built together just a few weeks ago.

Behold the beauty…

Jess and Justin’s step-by-step DIY table:

1.) Pick up a large metal door. J + J purchased their door at The Rebuilding Center in Portland for, get this, $15!

2.) Next, they needed legs for the table. J + J picked up four hair pin legs in vintage teal for $30.00 total. Again, if you live in Portland, they purchased the legs at City Liquidators.

3.) With their old door and vintage legs in tow, J + J picked up a few screws and a heat flange (to replace the door knob hole) for a total of $1.50.

4.) Back at home, J + J removed the door hinges from the door and attached the vintage legs.

5.) With the table construction complete, J + J carefully striped the teal paint off the door with “crazy harsh non-earth friendly chemicals” as Jess puts it.

The result? A stunningly unique and upscycled outdoor table…

And as for the chairs, J + J picked those up at City Liquidators as well. Quite the find, eh?

To recap, this beauty of a table cost a total of $46.50. Can’t beat that!

Jess, thank you for being such an inspiring woman and friend. Your home is a true reflection of the beautiful person you are.