Kitchen Table Makeover

table 3

Moving in with my fiance meant acquiring some of his furniture that is far from stylish. After seven months in Vegas, we still hadn’t gotten around to buying a new kitchen table, so I decided to try a little DIY magic on a table that his parents had bought for him at a garage sale many years ago. It’s amazing what some sanding and staining can do. Intricate details that I thought were tacky now add charming character and the distressed wood (not in a trendy way…) now looks crisp and classy. Since we saved money by making over our table, I decided to splurge and buy some floral chairs from Target to complement the modern look.

table v2

What you’ll need:

  • 1 can Citristip
  • Plastic scraper
  • Orbital sander
  • Sand paper of varying grits (100, 120, 220)
  • Tack cloth
  • Newspapers
  • Brush or cloth
  • White spray paint (I used Valspar paint + primer,  about 3 cans)
  • Stain (I used Minwax Red Mahogany)
  • Polyurethane

How-to:

  1. Remove the finish. Move the table to a well ventilated area and place it on top of a tarp or cardboard to protect the surrounding areas. To strip the existing finish, I sprayed the table with Citristip and let it sit for an hour before scraping it off with a plastic scraping tool (read can for safety and detailed directions).
  2. Use an orbital sander to smooth the table, going with the grain. Do most of the initial sanding with 100-grit sandpaper, then step up to 150-grit and do a final pass with 220-grit. Wipe off the dust with a tack cloth.
  3. Cover the top of the table with newspapers, taping the edges with painters tape to create clean lines. Spray paint the base of the table; it may take a few coats.
  4. Remove newspaper before applying the wood stain. Apply stain with a brush or cloth, following the wood’s natural grain. Follow the directions on can to achieve desired result. Apply at least 2 coats. If the wood seems rough, sand between coats and remove dust with a tack cloth to smooth the surface.
  5. After the final coat of stain has thoroughly dried, apply polyurethane according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Apply at least four coats since a kitchen table should be durable. Let dry for 24 hours before using the table.

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