It served well for a while. It has a built in leaf that makes the table huge. Then I started to hate it. I covered it with table cloths. It just wasn't jive-ing with me. It looked too country and cheap. The wood is too light for my taste. We found what is now our kitchen table, but I wasn't allowed to buy that unil we sold the other table. It did not sell.
I was so bummed. But after looking at blogs and on Pinterest, I realized I could make this sturdy table work for us. So this past summer I gave it a facelift.
I followed directions of Centsational Girl here. I started by sanding the top with our power hand sander until the veneer was gone and the wood was raw and smooth. I used tack cloths to remove all the sawdust.
I chose MinWax Jacobean stain. Gorgeous color. I used a wide foam brush to apply it in long strokes in the direction of the grain. I let it sit for about 10 minutes and then wiped off with t-shirt cloth. I think I applied stain 3-4 times to get it this dark.
See the variances in the color? I honestly have no idea how that happened! I was unhappy with it at first, but not for long! I love it now! The hubs thinks it has to do with the sanding job. I dunno. :)
I primed and repainted the legs white to give it a fresh clean finish.
Then I sealed everything with a polycrylic seal by MinWax. I used polycrylic instead of polyethylene because it has more of a matte finish. I wanted the seal without the shine.
And now we LOVE this table! I'm so glad the hubs wanted to keep it, and glad I got up the nerve refinish it!
It was not as hard as I thought it would be! And I felt so awesome using the sander and applying stain! Our neighbor across the street builds cabinets and saw me working; I felt proud!
The original chairs and bench were weak and rickety, so we trashed them and decided on chairs from Ikea. These chairs are comfy and look great with the dark legs and linen fabric!
The hubs asked me if I could consider selling it for a lot of money. I considered it, but he reminded me what a special table it is-- it has a lot of memories and was my first big furniture adventure! It is a table we hope to keep in the family for a long time!
Linking up to:
Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday party
Beautiful Hayley! And I get to enjoy this table. :)
ReplyDeleteI love what you did here. The sanding and staining brought out a nice dark wood color. And the finish just made it perfect.
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I love this Hayley! I'm looking for a farmhouse table for my dining room (and they are SO expensive). You've inspired me! I've started scouting craigslist for a used table to refinish. Where did you buy your chairs (that might be the most expensive part of my project)!!!
ReplyDeleteErin Kazmi
Erin, good luck on your table adventure! It is a great opportunity to get an awesome table like the ones in the catalogs we drool over (Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware) for so much less!
ReplyDeleteI also recommend garage sales and Good Will-type places. If you garage sale, go early, because furniture sells quickly!
The chairs are from Ikea and were $100 each. Not cheap, but comparable to the ones at Target and World Market, and very comfortable. And the covers are removeable= washable!
I'd love to hear about it if you do this!
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