Stenciled Table Top

I have been torn about our dining table for a long time. Originally I wanted an antique round country table, but I could never find one. I found many pedestal tables but I wanted one with legs. Finally, I found one at Target online, but nowhere near antique and it was a hideous factory blond color with a plasticky looking finish. Because it was the perfect style, I decided I would just buy it and "antique" it. So last year I ordered the table and painted it black, then distressed it and coated in polyurethane. I liked the way it looked, but it wasn't perfect. Mainly because the super light wood color under the black was too much contrast and didn't look like it had actually aged. That dang unstained blond wood!!!! The past year went by with the table under my vintage crochet table cloth. So, the other day it began gnawing on my mind again. I want an actual antique round dining table!! I still plan on looking for one, but in the mean time I also had another idea. Stencil the table top and make it a little more artful. I have already done a stool with this same stencil design so I knew exactly what to do. It is basically one square over and over and it ends up looking like granny squares, lace, or even quilting. It's really cool. I thought about white, but opted for my Martha Stewart craft paint in antique gold. It is very fast drying and looks amazing on top of black. This was actually a very easy job, with just a few things to remember. Wipe the stencil every time to get a neat print. Also to have a weathered appearance to the design, let some prints be bolder than others, and don't worry too much about small smudges. Do try to keep them lined up straight so that the design looks like someone worked hard on it at some point in time. Aged doesn't equal sloppy. Haha. Anyway, afterward, I ran some sand paper over some sections to make it look even more worn, and then I was done. I might add another top coat of poly if I get a chance, but it doesn't matter to me if it gets scratched because it is already distressed. This made me appreciate my table a little more, so now it is proudly on display instead of under a table cloth.