Thursday, May 13, 2010

refinished side table

I recently had my good friend show me how to refinish furniture. I can't believe I hadn't tried it sooner, it really is so simple and it's amazing how new and fresh you can make a piece look! My mom gave me this set of small tables when I first got married. One of the tables has been damaged by water over the years. The surface was bubbled up. I was going to throw the table away when I decided I might as well try to refinish it. What did I have to lose?

First I sanded the table to make the surface smooth. Since the table was damaged it required a lot of heavy duty sanding to get past the damage. I even had to use some wood putty to fill in a few gaps.


After sanding was finally finished, I used a gray primer on the table. I then spray painted it in Rustoleum's Colonial Red. What a beauty!


Finally I brushed on some stain and sanded over it to get a distressed look. Of course you can skip this step if you just want it painted without the distressing. Then I added a coat of clear finish to protect it. I wish the picture did it justice, but it really looks so much cooler in person. I am so happy with the result and even more thrilled that I didn't throw this table away! It was such a cheap way to turn this damaged table into a brand new one. I have several more things I am now planning on refinishing.

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33 Comments

33 Responses to “refinished side table”

Cindy @ This Adventure, Our Life said...

That looks awesome, what a great transformation! I love re-purposing things!!

Tonya said...

LOVE it!! You did an awesome job! My favorite color...RED and you added glaze!! Ohhh Soooo lovely!

Sherry said...

Fabulous result! I'm inspired now.

Jennifer Grace said...

wow, that's given it a brilliant new lease of life. I will be looking out for unwanted furniture at car boot sales now!

Perfect Balance Marketing said...

Well done! The little table looks great. And thanks for sharing how you did it - I bought a lovely cabinetshelving unit at a car boot sale a couple of weeks ago (£3 bargain) and haven't dared touch it yet.... you've inspired me to THINK about giving it a go... look forward to seeing your other refurbishments, Lucy xox

Unknown said...

That's brilliant - it really does look so cool. A big improvement on the original. I have just acquired a pine table that's way too orange and yeugh for my taste and have been planning to refinish it, but didn't know where to start, or what colour to use! I am inspired! I fancy doing a black table top and red legs... oo thanks for this. x

Wilma Lee said...

That came out very nice!! I like the red color.

Lindsay said...

Wow you did a really amazing job! Good work!! Have a great weekend! xo

willywagtail said...

That is a terrific re-finish. Can't wait to see the rest. It feels very rewarding to make and mend and end up with truly unique items. Cherrie

Anina said...

Wow! That IS impressive! I love it.

alyssa said...

i have been wanting to try this. how do you spray without leaving spray marks?

Novell said...

nice job! And I love your distressed look. Gives it character...

Expats Again said...

You did a fine job. It was great to see the finished project!

Kristi said...

Love how it turned out! Great work!!

Tara@JustDevineStyle said...

Love it! The red is perfect. I really love what paint can do for a cute piece of furniture. Well even a not so cute piece of furniture turns cute with the right paint. Love the sanding photo. :)

Kat said...

Gorgeous!

Mainly a midwife said...

Love the red!

Denise said...

Love the red! There is nothing better than a can of paint. I've done furniture, lamps, fixtures. It's amazing how a fresh coat of paint in a new color makes you feel like you have a whole new piece of furniture.

Unknown said...

WOW!!!!!!!! That is just beautiful! I love posts like this.....it gives me the boost I need to start on my colelction of "re-dos"... :)

Anonymous said...

It looks great! I have a dresser that I've been meaning to refinish but I've been scared. I thought it was a highly involved process. but you made it look so do-able. Thanks!

Unknown said...

That looks great! I have a bedroom suit I want to paint black, but just can't make the time to do it.

Barb said...

Oh...your table turned out wonderfully!!

Victoria said...

That looks fantastic! And I love the color you chose :)

Amy said...

That table looks wonderful! Nice job!

SAH in Suburbia said...

This is so great. I haven't tried this yet...how did you keep from getting spray paint drips?

Little Birdie Secrets said...

To keep from getting paint anywhere on the floor use a drop cloth or a wide area of cardboard.

To protect against drips and runs on the furniture, be sure to spray even, light coats from about 10-12 inches away.

Twiddle Thumbs said...

Nice!
I'm looking for something exactly like that and in that newly painted color as well.

CraftyBrit said...

Turned out great! I recently started refinishing furniture too, isn't it great!?!

Jenny said...

We just redid a blanket box with colonial red! I've been wanting to put a clear coat on it. What did you use for the clear coat? Thanks.

Danielle said...

What kind of clear coat did you use to seal it? A spray can one or a roll on?

Little Birdie Secrets said...

I used Minwax fast-drying clear satin spray for my finishing coat.

Wetheads said...

What stain did you use? Did you brush it everywhere and them let it dry? Could you explain a bit more!

Little Birdie Secrets said...

I used the Varathane brand gel stain. It is a bit thicker so it is easier to brush on. You can brush on as little or as much as you want and evenly or not just depending on the look of distressing you are trying to achieve. It really is up to you!

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