Have you ever had a piece of furniture in your house that you really didn’t like? This is how I flipped a craigslist find into a Dining Room Table makeover that I love!
I finally had reached my limit with my old Dining Room Table. It had grooves all across the top – you know the kind that leave you with permanent marks on your forearms for hours? Yeah, kind of like that!
And y’all – let me tell you, it obviously didn’t work well with two messy boys eating. As a result, I had to carve out their crumbs with a toothpick to get the table clean. In other words, I was over it.
So I went on a search and found another table on craigslist. I was able to talk the guy down from his original price and stole it for $150. Here’s the before pic
Sorry for the blurred image – it’s a copy from the seller’s post.
First, I brought it into the garage and asked my father in law, who was visiting to help me out. Don’t y’all put your guests to work when they visit? No??? Just me…???
So anyway, we sanded it all down.
And sanded and sanded and sanded!
This table was a soft pine and I had no doubt that my boys were going to ding and scratch it all up. Next, I distressed the table with holes, marks, gashes – so it already had that weathered look.
Plus it made it easier when the first marks were made. I call it preventative insurance for the crazy outburst of fury from Momma.
I chose a deep mahogany minwax stain for the tops and the seats of the chairs. For the bottom of the table and chairs, I went with a creamy white. After they dried, I used Valspar glaze to antique them.
And this is how my Dining Room Table makeover turned out.
We had some issues when it came to applying the polyurethane coat. Since the table was old and used, I had major cursing, crying problems with fish eyes (when the poly doesn’t completely take and pulls away from the wood).
But my thought was, for $150 and 2 rowdy, raucous boys, it’s gonna get beat up something good, so I gave up and labeled it as “character”.
Here are some earlier pics with close ups of the finish:
This was my first ever furniture redo and I’m kinda proud of my first efforts – of course!
Dining Room Table
MakeoverSource List
(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)
- Dining Room Table – Used from Craigslist $150
- Stain for table top and Seats – Deep Mahogany by Minwax $4.75
- Polyurethane – Quick Drying Gloss by Minwax $11
- Cream Paint – oops can from Lowe’s $5
- Glaze for Chairs – Valspar Antiquing Glaze from Lowe’s $13
Grand Total: $183.75
Let me know what you think!!! I loooove to hear your comments!
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UPDATE!!
Of course I’ve recreated this table again!
Click here to see how
the table looks now!
That’s a great question! I did a little bit of both. I removed the finish using an orbital sander, but that has a tendency to leave swirl marks, so I always follow up with a hand sanding going in the same direction as the grain. Hope that helps!
Did you sand by hand or electric sanders?
I have the same exact table and have been wanting to redo our table. You have inspired me can't wait to get started.
You did a amazing job. I love it!
Thanks so much for the feature!
Amazing transformation! I really love how you turned this set around.
I featured your table this week as a Friday Favorite. Hope you hop over to see how I bragged about you.
Have a great creative week!
~ Robin
http://redoityourselfinspirations.blogspot.com/2015/01/friday-five-fabulous-furniture-features_31.html
Thanks for your sweet comment on my black distressed table makeover! I had to pop over here to hunt for your creamy white dining table…and it looks grrrrrreat! The darker wood for the surface is a great contrast…and also better for masking dirt and splashes of food. 🙂 Brava!
Warmly,
Lauren
That project turned out B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L-L-Y!
Thanks for sharing!
WOW! That turned out beautiful! I love the dark wood with the cream! great job! : )
WOW You did an amazing job. We are about to get a new table and chairs. I wish I was this crafty. I would love to be able to say I did it myself like this. Great job.
What a beautiful job you did on your dining table redo! Way to go!
Midge
Thanks so much for linking up!
wow that looks AMAZING!! We have a very similar table and those colors would match our dining room perfect!! You have inspired me!!
Love the "after" of this table!! Glad you're ok with the fisheyes. When you have kids it's better not to have anything that starts out perfect, huh? Fisheye's are almost impossible to avoid with an old table. (Not sure if you knew but they're caused by Pledge or another silicon duster.) The only way to avoid is use "sanding sealer" in the beginning before staining. Even that sometimes doesn't work! Lovely blog!
That looks like it took a LOT of time and effort, but well worth it I'm guessing? It turned out great!
Amazing transformation! I love the paint with the stained top!
gorgeous! for your 1st time, this is awesome! i wish I had half that talent & patience!
I can't believe that's the same table!! It looks like something from Pottery Barn! You did an amazing job. Wow!
That is fabulous! Great job!!
You did a great job…just gorg-eous!!
Drooling here… love the two-tone… I was just thinking of redoing my kitchen table like that… just did it last summer though. Thanks for linkin up to POPP!
That is beautiful, seriously for your first time, wow you are on to something!!~ Enjoy…I have two boys myself, I would like to say oh they are gentle and soft on things NOT!!~ But you get over it!
That is an amazing redo. I'd be thrilled if you linked up to my linky party!
My honest opinion is that you did a truly amazing job. Good for you too, it looks fabulous!
Beautiful!!!
Loving the redo — awesome job!
Hi Jen, my friend April gave me the link to your blog. I met you once when you lived across the street from her and I came to visit from MI. Your blog is great and you look absolutely amazing! I'm glad to hear things are going well for you guys!
Toot toot! I'm tooting your horn too so you don't have to, it can be awkward sometimes! ha ha but GIRL you earned it. When are you moving back? I'm seriously HATING you for leaving right now! (In a loving way) We could be doing this stuff together!!!
Oh, that came out beautifully! I ♥ the dark top and creamy legs!
Looks fabulous! I love the finish on top AND on the legs! Thanks for linking up and for using my new button!
Wow that is beautiful! You did a fabulous job! Love the contrast between the stained wood and the painted white! So pretty. 🙂
It's so beautiful now- I love what you did. Thanks for sharing!
I also helped on this piece. She's taking ALL the credit!! But seriously, she stayed out in the garage for many weeks alone on this project. Much deserved break from the kids.
That totall RAWKS! I am looking for a dining set just like that on craigslist. Unfortunately there are only modern style on there most of the time.
Looks like gorgeousness to me. Good on ya!
I LOVE that! I bought a china cabinet and table set a few months ago, and I am afraid to to that to mine! You did a BEAUTIFUL job!!!
ooh la la. your table looks gorgeous and expensive. it's so stunning I didn't even see your blinds until you mentioned them. well done.
What a lot of work. It looks amazing, good job.
What a gorgeous dining set!
You did a beautiful job.
-Trish
What an awesome makeover…love how you stained the top of the table and seats in the chairs…beau-ti-ful!!! Hope you have a great week:)
Blessings,
Linda
I love how it turned out. It's beautiful. Fabulous job for your first time. I feel many more projects for you coming now.
It is a gorgeous table (now)! Great job! For your first time refinishing furniture could you have picked a bigger piece, lol!
Gorgeous! You did a great job.
vail in tn
That is an awesome redo!! I love the table and chairs..so pretty. What a deal you got!
Miss Bloomers
Wow, that is just gorgeous!!!