Making a Coffee Table Look Like Weathered Wood

Hello everyone! Today I thought I'd show you guys the newest addition to my home! Actually, it isn't very new, but it sure looks new! Before my husband and I got married, he lived in our current house for a year. During that year, either he, or his "friend" (that's what he claims!) broke his coffee table! As the story goes,  I got this solid wood coffee table from some family and decided to refinish it quickly to replace the not so strong one that broke. Originally, this table had a light brown wood stain on top and bright blue (and I mean BRIGHT!) on the bottom and legs. When I refinished it the first time, I tried to go for a rustic, weathered barn look, but didn't get the look I wanted. The bottom was painted black and distressed, and the top ended up with a more blueish grey colored wood stain. It was a rushed job and I was not happy with how the stain ended up and how the table didn't have the rustic look that I wanted. Now, I finally got the chance to make it look how I dreamed it would be!

Here's some photos of the table before refinishing (again). The top had a much bluer tint to it than the photos show below.

First, I had to sand down right to the wood grain. This took a long time, but by using wood stripping solution it cut the sanding time down in half.

Next, I painted the top white. I used a very bright white paint on top. I was actually quite surprised by just how bright it was! After the paint dried (I did one layer, but you could do two if needed), I used 80 grit sand paper to sand the white paint down just to the raised wood grain. This gave a really cool, weathered look with all of the knots in the wood showing through.

After the white painted table top was lightly sanded down, I used Minxwax's Dark Walnut wood stain. I simply took an old rag and dipped it in the stain and rubbed it on the top of the coffee table. This made the wood look more of the weathered grey that I wanted and it emphasized the wood grain showing through. I then took another clean rag and rubbed the excess stain off the table and let it dry. For the bottom of the table and the legs, I simply brushed the Dark Walnut wood stain on.

Finally, after everything dried, I brushed on a satin (non-glossy) coat of Varathane to protect the table. I am so thrilled with the results! It's exactly how I desired it to look and I learned a new way to make wood look weathered!

Two New Projects

Hello everyone! Recently, I had some family ask me to refinish a few furniture items for them. Today, I'll show you the dresser and the antique cedar chest. The dresser was fairly easy to do since it only had a light stain. The cedar chest was owned by my great grandmother and had significant wear and tear. The red stain used on the chest was very thick but luckily the wood stripping solution took it off easily. 

 The dresser's handles were made of wood so to save the cost of buying new ones, I repainted them. We decided on painting the outside of the dresser and the handles grey and staining the drawers and top with Minwax's Dark Walnut stain.

After stripping the wood, lightly sanding and applying the paint, stain and varnish, the outcome was a beautiful dresser that will stay in style for many years to come. 

 This cedar chest had a lot of damage to the exterior but was a meaningful family heirloom. Though the changes were subtle, painting the chest black with Minwax's Red Chestnut wood stain on the top, it gave the chest an updated look without taking away from it's character.

 One of my favourite things about doing custom work for someone else is to see their vision put into action. Both family members knew exactly how they wanted their furniture to look, and I got the chance to make it happen. A very satisfying and fun day for me and some great looking furniture for them! I'd say it was a success! :) 

Antique Desk gets a New Look

Hey everyone! I am so excited to show my latest project! This antique desk was made in approximately the 1930s. It had a fair bit of damage to it so after doing some research to make sure I wasn't about to strip down a priceless heirloom, I went ahead and decided to give it an entirely new look.

 It took a lot of debating, but I finally decided to stain the stop dark and paint the bottom grey and white. The handles were so unique, I wanted them to stand out a little more by using a contrast of the two colours. 

 After polyurethaning the top and varnishing the bottom, this desk is ready to go to a new home. :) 

Refinishing a Pedestal Table

Hello again! It's been an interesting couple of weeks with quite a few projects! This pedestal table came with three chairs with some light wear and tear. I had to do a lot of research for this table to find out what the best protective coating would be so that hot plates, spilled drinks and other mishaps won't wreck the finish. After a lot of research and comparison, I decided that using an oil based polyurethane would work best. Oil based polyurethanes work better for protecting against heat (in this case, hot plates of food) than water based does. After applying wood stripping solution, I only had to sand for a short period of time before the wood was bare and ready to go.

 After sanding, I decided to paint the chairs and bottom of the table black. I liked the look for the chairs but decided to use white with the black showing through for a more vintage look.

 I stained the top with Minwax's Dark Walnut stain. Since both the top and the bottom of the table were so dark, I wanted to paint the bottom white to balance it out.

 After applying a few coats of oil based polyurethane, I was very impressed with the results. The wood felt smooth to touch and well protected.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! :)