• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Start Here
  • Shop Favorites
  • About
    • Welcome To My Repurposed Life Home of Repurposed Furniture
    • More About Gail
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Information
  • Gallery
    • Repurposed Furniture
  • Repurposed Items
    • Building Supplies
    • Miscellaneous Household Items
    • Picture Frame/Chalk Board
  • DIY
    • Home Reno
    • outdoor living
    • Painting
    • Shop Talk
    • Tips for Around the House
    • Build It
      • Furniture
      • Home Decor
      • Storage
    • Crafts
      • Dollar Store
      • Easy
      • Holidays Seasonal
  • Furniture
    • Chair
    • Desk
    • Dresser/Chest
    • Headboard | Bed Parts | Cribs
    • Kids Furniture
    • Table
    • Kids Furniture
My Repurposed Life®
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Project Index
  • Furniture
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Furniture Makeover » Antique Table and Chairs (furniture refinishing)

    Antique Table and Chairs (furniture refinishing)

    Published by Gail | Published December 30, 2009 | Updated June 24, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet

    I really don't enjoy refinishing furniture, but sometimes you just can't paint a piece

    BEFORE

    My sister gave me this table last summer. You can see that the top was in pretty rough shape.

    100_1068It was in good shape structurally.

    100_1069It also had nice legs!

    100_1070Both leaves (leafs) worked perfectly.

    100_1073I sanded and sanded and sanded on the top, trying to get out some of the deep gouges.

    100_1074

    I used stripper on the legs.

    I removed the leaves (leafs) of the table to make sure that I got them stripped and re-stained sufficiently.

    100_1103I found three chairs at my local DAV (thrift store) for $5.00 each.

    100_1112I removed the seats and cleaned the chairs with some soap and water. After letting the chairs dry, I wiped them down with some stain, and recovered the seats.

     

    DSCF0046The covers of the feet were pretty rusted, as were the wheels. I asked a friend to sand blast them to get the rust off, I then spray painted them with a primer and then with a hammered finish paint.

    100_2816After staining the table, I brushed on several coats of polyurethane from Minwax to protect the finish.

    I worked really hard on this table, and I was sad to see it go….

    I sold it on Craig’s List yesterday to a really nice lady.

    She assured me that she would love it and take great care of it.

    I was tempted to take the easy way out and paint this table. I am glad that I didn’t, however I do wish I had stained it with a walnut stain instead of the mahogany.

    gail

    see more tips for refinished

    furniture here

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet

    About Gail Wilson

    Hi, there! I’m Gail, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      See comments Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. pat

      April 24, 2013 at 4:14 am

      You did a beautiful job! I'm wondering what the wood is? I have a mahogany antique table and hesitate to refinish (although it needs it) with the same methods I've used for pine and oak, basically what you did.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.net

        April 24, 2013 at 10:39 am

        Thank you Pat--I have no idea what kind of wood it was. 🙁

        If it has a leaf, you could try that first.... baby steps?

        gail

    2. tale of many cities

      February 27, 2011 at 1:00 pm

      this makeover was simply.. stunning!!

      Reply
    3. The DIY Show Off

      January 22, 2010 at 3:13 pm

      Wow - you did a fantastic job! It's gorgeous!

      Thanks for joining the Show & Tell!!!

      Roeshel

      Reply
    4. Ann

      January 15, 2010 at 4:29 pm

      Its really great to finally see a piece redone in the natural wood. Its a treasure! Well done!!

      Reply
    5. Bethany

      January 02, 2010 at 1:11 am

      Wow! You are way more patient than I am! It looks great...I love making something old into something new!

      Reply
    6. Miss Mustard Seed

      January 01, 2010 at 7:45 pm

      Gorgeous table! I am a "leg girl" when it comes to furniture and those look great. The chairs you found to match are also perfect for the table. I know that was hard work and well worth it.

      Reply
    7. Donna @ dh designs

      January 01, 2010 at 5:00 pm

      Beautiful - well worth the hard work. It must be so hard to see these pieces go - they almost become members of the family!

      BTW - your blog comes up all jumbled with the sidebar on the left and your post well below that - could be me but thought you may want to know.

      Reply
    8. Cha Cha

      December 31, 2009 at 9:21 pm

      Unlove to loved. Amazing, you did a great job. I know it would have been easier to paint but you did the right thing. HAPPY NEW YEAR

      Reply
    9. Whimsical Creations

      December 31, 2009 at 2:53 am

      WOW, that turned out beautiful!!

      Reply
    10. Thankfully Thrifty

      December 31, 2009 at 1:46 am

      Wow! Who would have thought such a worn table would look so new?! Way to go!

      Reply
    11. Kate @ Twenty-Six 2 Life

      December 31, 2009 at 12:06 am

      This is gorgeous! You did a GREAT job! I'm sure painting would have been easier, but you wouldn't have ended up with such a high quality piece. Awesome work. Bravo.

      Reply
    12. Katie

      December 30, 2009 at 11:06 pm

      Wow, it turned out beautifully I can see why this set would be so hard to let go. You did a great job and should feel very proud of yourself! I am sure it will now have many years of life and enjoyment by the new owner.

      Reply
    13. Shannon

      December 31, 2009 at 3:36 am

      The table turned out gorgeous! I bet that was a lot of work, because it looks like it was brand new after you finished it. Happy New YEAR!

      Reply
    14. beth

      December 31, 2009 at 1:35 am

      Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting on our little table project. 🙂
      Sorry you had to get rid of your table and chairs after working so hard on them, but I'm glad that you found someone that is going to use them and love them. They look great!!
      Have a Happy New Year! Beth.

      Reply
    15. The Yorgason's

      December 30, 2009 at 7:53 pm

      Oh my goodness! That looking amazing! Can I please tell you what! You are so talented. I have about five things that I need to do and I can't even get the desire to do them. Every time I look at your blog and see all of the beautiful things I want to get them done. I might go finish painting our babies crib, (He is one). Great job!

      Reply
    16. jillybee

      December 30, 2009 at 6:06 pm

      What a beautiful job you did on this table and chairs. Done stuff like this before, and I do know the hours you put into it.
      So glad you did stain instead of paint the furniture. Some pieces are just not meant to be painted, as much as I love to paint furniture.
      Here visiting from Between Naps on the Porch

      Enjoy your New Years Day,
      Jilly

      Reply
    17. Aaron@CheapThrillsDecorating

      December 30, 2009 at 4:30 pm

      great job! staining can be such a pain, but the results are well worth it.

      Reply
    18. Julie @ followyourheartwoodworking

      December 30, 2009 at 4:16 pm

      WOW, great job again Gail! That is just beautiful.

      Reply
    19. Katherine @ Grass Stains

      December 30, 2009 at 3:30 pm

      I, too, would have been tempted to paint it, but sometimes I guess it's best to leave the wood in its natural state and just enhance its natural beauty! Great job, and even better that you were able to sell it to someone who will enjoy it for years and years!

      Reply
    20. michelle@somedaycrafts

      December 30, 2009 at 3:21 pm

      What a gift! Beautiful redo!

      Reply
    21. Pam

      December 30, 2009 at 2:17 pm

      Beautiful....

      Reply
    22. All My Yesterdays

      December 30, 2009 at 1:59 pm

      Beautiful job! I would have bought it! But I understand your feelings at seeing it go. So much *love* put into making things new again....
      Thanks for showing us (O:

      Reply
    23. YORK VILLAGE SHOPS

      December 30, 2009 at 12:50 pm

      That is absolutely, positively beautiful! I love the finish you used~this really is a gorgeous piece of work.

      Katy

      Reply
    24. Kelly Howard

      December 30, 2009 at 11:03 am

      WOW!!! Just gorgeous finish! The lady who bought these are BLESSED!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

    More about me →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    SEEN ON

    Might I Suggest

    • Start Here
    • Furniture Makeovers

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    About

    • Gail's Favorites on Amazon
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 My Repurposed Life · Privacy Policy · Disclosure