Dining Room Phase 1

Sorry for the long break. It isn't that I haven't been doing new things, it is just the projects are a little more long-term and I refused to post before I had a good after picture.

I have been wanting to refinish my dining room table for a long time. It was a great hand-me-down that is solid and simple enough to go with a lot of different styles. However, this great table has seen been through the trenches of the young adult nomadic lifestyle; it has moved three times as well as being subjected to art projects and food experiments. Needless to say it needed a little love.

So I gathered together the supplies I would need.

I sanded down the table (BY HAND!). First using 60 grit sandpaper than 220. This was by FAR the hardest part of the process. I started by using my sandpaper sponge tool from my previous chair project, but quickly found I needed a better system. I ended up going back to the hardware store to buy a sanding block and a supply of both types of sand paper. There is still plenty left over for future projects in case I'm crazy enough to tackle something like this again.

After putting a REAL drop cloth out on my balcony (to avoid the tan line problem that I had last time) I began to stain the table. I ended up taking the table apart turning the hellish sanding process, and figured I would put it all back together post stain. Here are some works in progress.

After the stain was applied three times of applying, sitting, and removing it was time to apply the sealant. I used was was recommended on the back of my stain bottle. Unfortunately in my haste, I neglected to notice that the sealant I choose was a satin finish AKA matte. After this was kindly pointed out to me by my aunt, I took another trip to the hardware store to get a gloss sealant. (That's trip number three for those of you counting at home.) After applying several coats of that new sealant I was prepared to call it finished.

So here it is, the moment you've been waiting for: Before.

And After!

With this victory of course comes a list of more things to do. Now my folding chairs look totally out of place, so it is high on my priority list to be getting some new dark chairs from Ikea as soon as I can afford them. Observe the issues.

Also that handy side board table also sticks out like a soar thumb. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with that yet either. I want to keep the very top natural, since I use it so often as a cutting board. Maybe paint the legs and shelfs black and the drawers white? Still a lot to think about, but I've at least crossed one big thing off my to-do list. One down many more to go.

Claire Out.