Table Transformations

Sample table 

When I was living with my parents, they gave me the freedom to experiment with DIY projects on the house. They were going to sell the house in the near future so I wanted to help keep the renovations as long cost as possible. So one of my biggest projects was painting all the cabinetry in the house. This was a large undertaking and a huge learning curve for myself. Before that project, I never used a drill or an electric sander before. They came out pretty good, especially for a first timer like myself and I did learn a lot from doing that project. It inspired me to take on a new challenge of redoing a complete dining set while building upon the same techniques and skills that I picked up from my first project.

Step 1: Finding your project

So the first step was to find the perfect dining set. Let me just tell you, this was no easy task. I knew that I wanted to get something that was preowned and something that was on a cheaper price point. So I decided to scour through all the local thrift stores that I could find and with no luck. Just when I was about to quit and come another week, I decided to go into a smaller thrift store that I haven’t gotten the chance to visit yet. It was there I happened upon a solid dining set. It wasn’t amazing, it actually reminded me of the dining set we used to have in the 90s. The table top had a laminate sheen to it and with black legs. We actually purchased it for about $40 but the only problem was that it didn’t come with any chairs. We made our rounds the rest of the day, looking for used and new chairs and nothing came close to either matching the same aesthetic or the price point we were looking for.

Table before any work done to it 

So we came back to the same store to look at the table that we haven’t picked up yet and saw another table across the way. I dismissed it earlier because it was too big for my use; it came with four chairs but the table was so big it could fit eight chairs. It was also in pretty bad shape but I felt the wood and could tell that this was a better quality wood than the one I purchased. We asked to exchange tables and I purchased the difference of about $100. It was a little above my purchase goal so I was hoping that it would be worth the gamble.

Step 2: Supplies

After we rented a truck to bring the set home, I could finally start on the project itself. I went to Home Depot and bought all the necessary supplies. I followed a similar method that I used with my cabinetry project which you can read the details on how I did it here. For this project however, it was going to be slightly different because I wanted to have a rustic, vintage look. I was inspired by my favorite HGTV show again, Fixer Upper and I wanted to have a rustic country dining table for my future place. The look was going to mimic the wear and tear of old vintage furniture. So there were some differences in supplies given the new look. Here’s what I used instead for this project:

• The paint that I used was high quality chalk paint. I bought Rust-Oleum Linen White for my table. For a whole dining set, I used almost two cans 30 oz. cans. The reason for using chalk paint was because it had the texture and hold that was needed for sanding it down later on to get that rustic look.
• Drop cloths, paint brushes, painter's tape, and a paint stirrer was the basic tools you need for any paint project. High quality products will  go a long way.
• Electric sander with 220 grain sandpaper as well as separate sandpapers with a lower grain for sanding it down after it is painted.
• 1 quart of polyurethane finish. I asked a sales associate the differences in the finishes and I decided that the clear glass was the best. Adding this finish is to help waterproof the dining set but it also takes away the chalky finish and preserve the distressing technique that you do to it. 

Step 3: Preparing the dining set  

Cleaning the dining set was essential considering it was pre-used heavily. The seats had stains on them as well as the table top had marker markings and water stains. I cleaned as much of it as I could with just some soap and water. My dining set came with fabric seats so I removed them with a drill. I also used painters tape to tape over a metal plating part that were on each chair. 

Step 4: Sanding 

Sanding took the longest and I definitely learned a lot of lessons from this step. First off, I was doing this project in the heat of the summer and temperatures could go up to 120 degrees! So I decided to do the project inside but I created such a mess! I didn't realize how much sand it produced when I was doing my cabinetry project. I also realized that I had to sand more for the dining set to get all the varnish off. If I redid this project, I would either do it in a different season or tough it out and doing it in the garage. The cleanup afterwards was a nightmare. I also realized how much water damage there really was after sanding down all the top layers. I knew that painting over it instead of staining was the right call because the grains was ruined by the water damage. I also realized that how much effort and power it took to sand everything down. Even with the electric sander, it took such a long time to sand it down. I think I took two full days to do the sanding portion and it took me close to 20 hours! Definitely setting aside time and breaking up the project is a must. I also had to get creative with the grooves of the table because the sander couldn't get into the nooks and crannies.

Sanded with some non-sanded middle 

I decided to wrap some sandpaper around a wooden block and use that to get enough grip for the edges. That took a considerable amount of more time and effort because it was hard to get the grip that I needed to get the layers off. As you can see from the pictures, I didn't get it completely off but for the most part I got most of it off. You have to try the best you can in getting most of it off otherwise the paint will not stick properly. Luckily for me however the type of project I was doing needed the edges to be more unfinished so it didn't matter to me as much to have the paint stick less to the edges. I also was worried with the two toned color would do to the overall look. I realized that I liked the darker color as the bottom color that would show through but it was necessary to take off all of the layers because of what the water damage did to the varnish. It made the surface bumpy to the touch. So I went ahead with the project hoping for the best in the final outcome.

Water damage spots 

In terms of technique, use the electric sander to for the larger areas and use a circular motion. I may have removed too many layers but it was necessary given the amount of water damage and the markings I was trying to remove. As you can see in the pictures, the lighter color is the after picture of all the layers removed and you can see some of the grain of the wood. I used the free sandpaper for the rest of the edges.

Make sure you clean all the wood shavings away before you move on to the painting phase. I also cleaned it with another round of soap and water after all the sanding was done.

Finished sanded tabletop 

Step 5: Painting

Painted with two coats 

Painting was a piece of cake compared to the sanding step! I did two layers of chalk paint with no primer. It felt satisfying to see the transformation already taking shape. Covering the beautiful grain was a little unfortunate but seeing what a difference it made to the water stains convinced me that I made the right choice.

This also took some time because of the various layers. It was difficult to do the multiple sides for the chairs. I tried laying them down in a way that the least amount of paint would be touching the floor. I wanted to make sure that I got all sides, even the bottom of the legs. Considering that I wanted to paint in the least amount of time, I kept trying to turn it while the one side of paint is still wet. I was not as the most meticulous as I was with the sanding but that's why multiple layers are important.

Step 6: Distressing
This was the part that I was the most nervous with. If I messed up this part, all my hard work would be ruined. I definitely did not want to repaint or resand. But there was nothing to worry about because it was so easy! All I used was a sandpaper and just freehanded it. I sanded down the paint in the edges and some on the table top. I was putting not that much pressure at first because I was afraid of messing up but it takes a lot of scraps to get the effect you want and to see the underlying wood. You have to get areas that would "naturally" get scrapped more. I also did the table top a little bit as well which you can see in the last picture. Have fun with it! There's hardly little chance that you'll mess up.

Distressing was also messy! Chalk paint is messy to begin with because of its texture but when you sand it down the mess just exponentially increases! It wasn't as bad as the sanding stage but it was harder to clean up the chalky substance. Just prepare for a clean up in this stage.

Step 7: Varnish 

I did do some research and tweaked a couple of steps that were tailored for a dining table. One major difference was there was an additional step of adding a finish to it. Since it was going to be a dining table, I knew that it needed to be waterproofed to protect it from food or spillage. As I mentioned in the supply section, I used polyurethane finish. I recommend asking a sales associate to get the right finish for your project. From the research I had done, there was some people that had done up to 10 coats but the smell was too overwhelming that I just had done one. I deviated from what seemed like the norm and most people used a wax finish. The wax finish are in the same section as the chalk paint usually because it's the typical finish to use with chalk paint. I was wary about it and unsure about how it would turn out on white paint because I learned that it an change the color. The polyurethane also changed the color a little which is another reason why I only did one coat.

Step 8: Finish the seat
This is an extra step if you have a completely wooden dining set. My dining set came with a cushion seat which was also pretty stained but every seat was intact. I bought a home grade fabric. It has a higher quality that is more durable. I found this cute black and white polka dot fabric at Joann's that had a minimalist statement. I searched at all the other prints and everything seemed to loud in terms of the color or too busy in terms of the pattern.

I bought extra just in case I ever needed to replace one of the seat covers but it can also be used for another project that would match it. I cut them out with the seats sitting in the middle and then left about a few inches around each one. The cushion needed at least an inch and the rest of the fabric was needed for stapling it down to the underside. Using a staple gun was a first for me and I tried to figure out the best method of trying to staple around the round edges while also making the fabric lay flat on top of the cushion. I started in the corners and then finished one corner and then moved on to the rest before I stapled down the sides. Keep checking the other side to make sure that you're stapling the fabric correctly. I also used someone's help in holding down the fabric because I needed two hands to keep the staple gun stable.

 Step 8: Enjoy!
I've been using my new dining set in my new apartment for the last five months and I really enjoy it. I appreciate all the hard work that was put into refinishing a table and also bringing new life to a table that had seen better days. Upcycling a old table not only saved money but it was a great opportunity to customize the table the way you want it to look. I've been inspired by my favorite HGTV show Fixer Upper and I love the farmhouse chic style that Joanna rocks on that show! It combines my two loves in life: vintage and country. I've been slowly collecting pieces for my new place at various thrift and antique stores and coincidentally I found many pieces in Waco, Texas at my last visit there. My favorite thing to do is finding new purpose for something that was created for something else. I will possibly doing a separate post showcasing these fun repurposed pieces but I hope you liked this blog and that it inspires you to try something new in your near future. Feel free to comment down below about your own projects or if there's more of something that you would like to see! I've got some fun things planned for the near future so stay tuned.