Table for Two...or three...or four

Last week I showed you a before and after pic of a table I just refinished. Without further ado, I'll show you how I did it in this post.

I started with this...

(Sorry for the lame before photo. I always forget to take my before photos until I've already started the project)

It's a solid wood table, but the wood was pretty dirty and tired looking. So the first thing I did was sand down and wipe clean the legs and apron of the table:




(see how dirty?)




Then I spray painted the legs and apron with Rustoleum's American Accents in Heirloom White:




Love this color. And the coverage is great.

Once the legs were dry, I flipped the table back over, right side up, and started sanding the top:




I debated using my electric sander, but the sanding was surprisingly easy using my sanding block.

I first used a coarse piece of sand paper wrapped around the block, followed by a round of sanding with fine grit.

After wiping clean the entire surface, I broke out a can of Minwax stain in dark walnut finish:




Here's a before and after of the edges of the table. I love how it just soaked up that rich color so easily. It must've been thirsty :)

Before:




After:



The top was another story though. I didn't soak up the rick color as easily. Probably because it wasn't entirlely sanded down to the bare wood. But I knew a second coat would give me the color I was hoping for.

Here's a picture I took during the first coat, which I applied with an old rag:

The top had a fair amount of scratches and dings from wear and use, but I loved every nick. I think it gives the table great character.

I should mention here that these scratches, dents and dings weren't from me - my hubby found this table out on the street with a 'free' sign on it. The sweetie pie knew it was right up my alley of things I like to refinish so he sweetly (or should I say sweatly) carried it down the sidewalk for 2 blocks back to our house. And this table is HEA-VY! What a great guy my honey is! :)

Here are some said scratches and dings:

They stood out too much like a sore thumb after coat number one, but after coat number two (I didn't apply it as heavily over that part) it was perfectly blending like a smoothie! You know, like 'shake it like a salt shaka' but 'blend it like a smoothie'...not the newest catchphrase? oh...ok...moving on then!

Enjoy all the blended, grainy goodness below!

LOVE the angle in the photo below!

Is it weird I enjoy having photo shoots with inanimate objects? Probably not. I think it only gets weird when I yell, "Work it! That's it, right there - hold that pose. Georgeous! You're a natural!" Oh well. The neighbors already knew we were weird when they saw my husband waddling down the street with this thing...at least they know we're a compatibly wierd couple ;) 

I distressed the parts of the painted legs and apron with sandpaper and then glazed over them. The next couple of photos show close-ups of the distressed/glazed finish:

LUSCIOUS!

So, this table is now for sale (for locals in the Harrisburg area of PA who may be interested). It's listed on craigslist here. I see its future owner using it as either a small dining/kitchen table, or maybe a craft table or desk...

I'd keep it for myself, but there's just no room for it in the house :( Oh well. It'll make someone else very happy.

Signing off for now...Happy Monday!

~Amy

p.s. Similar to 'Where's Waldo?' can you count how many times my creepy camera-wielding shadow found its way into this post? :)

Linking up here...



...and here this Friday!