Looking at an old oak table and chairs can make you feel like you are stuck in the 1970’s but it is possible to update an old finish that will look right at home in todays dining rooms. This set had some big positives going for it like all solid wood and a 24″ self storing leaf. What it really needed was to get rid of the old orange finish … Read More
I want to share with you a fairly straightforward process for painting formica with a stained wood look. I will walk you through the steps that I used to finish the tops on the Redesigned Dresser with Barn Doors and End Tables. The surface of this formica was smooth and very shinny, so using my orbital sander with 60 grit paper, I sanded to cut the shine and give a … Read More
What do you do when you have quality furniture with sentimental value that just really isn’t your style? A customer came to me with exactly that situation, three pieces of Stanley furniture that was gorgeous in its day but was in need of a fresh update to be beautiful today. We talked through ideas and possibilities for redesigning and decided on a Modern Farmhouse Restyle. The three pieces would be … Read More
This was a small project that made a big difference in the look and function of the piece. When I first saw these end tables they looked old and tired, and I personally don’t like having only drawers to hold all of my bedside things. I like having my favorite book or books on a shelf to inspire me to pick them up and read. So taking a new look … Read More
I couldn’t pass up this pair of classic styled walnut wood tables and I thought they were the perfect pieces for a Natural Sanded Finish. Although they were pretty, the dark stained wood was scratched and had water damage on the tops. My plan was to uncover the beauty in the natural wood tops by careful sanding to reveal the wood grain and to paint the bases in a complimentary … Read More
I was commissioned to make two matching end tables for my previous project, Bleached Oak Coffee Table. This was a finish technique that I developed for that project and fortunately kept good records of the process. For this project I will be using the two remaining leaves from the original oak table to make two Bleached Oak End Tables with the same finish treatment. The picture above shows how different … Read More
I was told this table was at least 60 years old and possibly an antique. The condition of the table was heavily worn and stained but I saw in the old oak grain the possibility it could be a beautiful table again. I completely took the table top and pedestal apart to wash all the pieces with TSP. It’s always a good practice to pay special attention to the table … Read More
General Finishes, Blue Moon paint, paired with a lighter stain make a big change from the dated original dark oak finish in this Table and Chairs Makeover. This table came to me in need of refinishing. The finish on the table top and chair seats was worn. My plan was to strip, sand and refinish the table top and chair seats in a lighter stain and paint the rest with … Read More
This is a nice solid oak table with an 18″ leaf that was in need of refinishing. The clear finish on the table top had worn through from years of use. It did not come with any chairs so my plan is to paint it in a clean white to make it as neutral as possible. I am getting better at remembering to take before pictures but I did not … Read More
I saw potential in these two craftsman style solid wood tables. They where showing their age and the orange finish made them look old but I saw an opportunity to restyle the coffee and sofa tables in Alabaster white and the tops in driftwood gray. I began by giving the tables a good cleaning with TSP to remove the years of built up dirt. Then using my jigsaw I cut … Read More