Vintage Side Table Refresh

Today I have another Thrift Store find, a vintage side table that was desperately in need of a little TLC. Considering he was only $5 he was destined to come home with me.

If you think you have a genuine antique that would lose it’s value if you did any modifications to it, do your research.

A quick Google Lens search came up with this vintage Kittinger Leather-top side table, Rare, High End…and it sold for $500 on Ebay. So similar to mine, and mine was 1/100th of the price.

Not so fast…the label on the bottom of my table says this is a Period Tables Inc. table out of Henderson Ky. They do (or did) genuine mahogany reproductions. That company began business in 1939, though I couldn’t find when they went out of business.

At best, my table is probably from the 40’s or 50’s, so definitely still vintage, maybe not a genuine antique.

Getting back to the condition of my table, there were tons of scratches on the wood and a nice cigarette burn in the leather.

The holes in the legs hinted at a past shelf or leg supports.

You can use paint or varnish stripper to remove the existing varnish. Since most of the table’s surfaces were flat, I chose to just attack the wood with my orbital sander and 120 grit sandpaper. You’ll have to use fine sandpaper and hand sanding for those final nooks and crannies.

I did watch a couple of Youtube videos on how to repair leather and their patches looked great. You basically need to buy some filler and a leather repair kit with all the color dyes and you’re just about set.

But I’m working on a $5 table, and those repair kits run about $17. I must have something in the workshop to fill my burn hole. That’s when I found some air hardening clay. A little blob of clay smoothed over with water and a razor blade to level out the blob and I have my fix. Let dry.

In my acrylic paint stash I found that a combination of Ceramcoat, Sweetheat Blush and Folkart, Bark Brown did a great job of hiding the cigarette burn. If you don’t have those colors, look for a maroon and brown. I also dabbed the paint in a few other deep scratches on the leather.

You can still see the burn in the upper right corner of the leather but it no longer stands out.

Finish the leather as you would your shoes with a nice leather polish, this one in cordovan.

To replace the shelf that wasn’t there I’m using a piece of a table leaf, dump find. I could have left the table without a shelf but I think it will give the table a little more stability.

Cut the shelf to size. I had to take into consideration that the legs were turned and therefore my shelf had to be a little bit longer so that I could angle the corners to fit.

Like the table itself, I needed to remove all the existing varnish and stain from the table leaf shelf so that I could match the final finishes.

In each of the legs I enlarged the slot hole with a 1/2″ drill bit and inserted and glued a 2″ dowel.

Let the glue dry.

I tried to drill a corresponding hole in each corner of the shelf but the drill bit just tore up the wood. While the table leaf looks and feels like amazing wood, it is really just particle wood covered with a layer of thin veneer. The veneer just started separating from the particle wood making a mess.

Next best thing…adjust a table saw so that it only penetrates half the dept of your wood. Make a groove with your saw blade. Move the wood over and cut again until you have a groove the width of the wooden dowel. So all your cuts are equal length, put a mark on the saw so you know when to stop.

Place the shelf on the dowels and use wood glue to adhere. Clamp in place until dry.

If you like, you can sand off the dowel until it is level with the underside of the shelf then apply your finish.

All ready for a final finish. I know light wood is in style right now but the light wood does not go with the leather insert.

I’m finishing mine with Watco Danish oil in dark walnut. Super easy to wipe on with a soft rag and wipe off the excess.

I used a cotton swab to get into the crevice between the leather and wood.

If your varnish/stain seems like it taking too long to dry, stick your table outside on a sunny day. Works every time.

If your finish seems gritty, buff with fine steel wool and wipe off any residue with a clean cloth. Repeat the danish oil until you get the finish you desire.