Scavenger Chic

Pedestal Table and Chairs Makeover

• By Joan
• June 9, 2017
• 5 Comments

This cute little table and chairs is owned by my oldest son’s best friend from high school.  He got married last year and he and his wife are saving up to buy a house, hopefully by the end of the summer.

I’m not sure how I volunteered to refinish the table, but I couldn’t charge the young couple and I’m always in need of a new project.

From my conversation with #1 son, I thought I was volunteering for a dresser, then it became a dresser and chairs then somehow the project turned into a table and chairs.

I was still up for the challenge. 

The table top arrived first without it’s pedestal and without the chairs.  Even though it was heavy, I wasn’t entirely  convinced that it was  solid wood.

There was a factory finish on the table, a sprayed on paint, so smooth that you couldn’t see any grain.  It was actually a very nice finish but that was not the look the couple were going for in their first home.

The first thing I did was attack the poor table with a sander.  There was actually some very nice wood under the paint.

The chairs and the base arrived a couple days later.  The chairs were definitely  a little dated.  The hunter green tells me that they are probably about 25 years old.  I should know, I had tons of hunter green in my house back then.  I have been replacing it ever since.

The chairs were nice and sturdy and ready for their makeover.

I’m going to be sanding the edges down just a bit for that slightly worn look. When I sand off the white, I don’t want to see green, I want to see wood.  So wherever I think I’ll be sanding I have to get rid of the green color.

I probably didn’t need to sand quite so much on the seat edges but it all worked out.

The chair on the left has one coat of a spray on primer.  I only applied the primer where the green paint had been. The chair on the right has the primer plus one coat of semi-gloss white paint.

I was hoping to get away with just one coat of the white paint on the white parts of the chair but I still needed two since the two whites did not match exactly

Back to the table top…after sanding the table with medium grit sand paper you could see some of the white paint had found it’s way into the grain of the wood.  If  the stain didn’t cover up the paint I would have to paint the top of the table.  There would be no reason to strip the rest of the table top.

A light stain on the right and I could still see the paint.  The darker walnut stain on the left and the white paint disappears.

I did use paint remover in the groove going around the table.  This was some stubborn paint, it softened but didn’t bubble up.  More sanding and scraping was needed.  I even used the sanding attachment on my little Dremel  to help with the paint removal.
If you use an electric sander, follow up the coarser sandpaper with fine, then very fine sandpaper.  The coarser sandpaper will leave small scratches in the wood which the stain will only highlight.

Wipe down the tabletop with a lint free rag before applying your stain.

This color is Rust-Oleum Dark Walnut.

The top was finished with 4 coats of Minwax Polycrylic .  What I like about this stuff is it’s water clean up, dries quickly and leaves a beautiful finish.

I would suggest that if you feel any grit or rough spots after each coat, buff it out with fine steel wool or very fine sandpaper, and wipe down before applying the next coat of poly.

While the base remained white, I still applied two coats of white paint to match the chairs.

I sanded just the edges with my sander wherever I wanted a little highlight.  Just to those sanded spots I added a little vintage wax to darken the wood.  Wipe the wax off immediately,  If you’re a little messy with the wax or change your mind about a highlighted area, just go back and touch up with your white paint.

The chairs got the same sanded treatment as the base just on the edges or where there might be normal wear and tear.

The table and chairs are still in the garage waiting for pickup.  Hint, hint  Jake and Katie!

Have a great weekend. Stay inspired.

Shared at  Metamorphosis Monday, Wow us Wednesdays

Talk of the Town,

Related posts:

Vintage Black and White Enamel Table Country Farmhouse Table Makeover DIY Table Leaf for Vintage Dining Table Heap of Change Challenge : Workbench Storage