DIY Table Makeover

This table has been one of my most favorite furniture makeovers to date. I gave this table a whole new look as part of the builder’s challenge furniture flip in Fall 2020. And I love, love, love it. I was given the table by a former coworker for free, it was one she was getting rid of it and thought of me. (Score for me!) It was in pretty rough shape so a table makeover was definitely needed.

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This table was pretty solid and had probably been used for a side table or as a kitchen island. As you can see in the picture above there are some rough looking cutting boards that give the piece a rustic touch. It has deep rounded drawers on the bottom that were probably used to store root vegetables like potatoes, onions or garlic. So my challenge was to give this whole thing, a makeover from the white and to challenge myself to give it color and to choose a pretty bold color. (Which is the opposite of my normal white/gray/farmhouse look.)

Supplies Needed for DIY Table Makeover

• Orbital Sander and sanding sheets (I used a 220 grit)
• milk paint (the color I used is Deep Sapphire)
• paintbrush
• Wood carving
• Half and Half Oil Sealant
• Wood Glue
• Clamps
• Copper hardware
• Peel & Stick wallpaper (used as drawer liners)
• Mesh stencil (used for top)

My first step was to give the entire table a good cleaning. Usually when I use milk paint or chalk paint I just clean the surface first and don’t sand but in this case there was so much prior paint on the piece that I decided to sand it. I sanded the entire table with the exception of the bottoms of the bottom drawers as these are metal.

Because I wanted to go with a bolder color I chose a deep blue milk paint. I used a different brand of milk paint for this furniture makeover and I really liked it. I used Real Milk Paint Company, their milk paint comes in a plastic paint can with the powder mixture in a bag inside the can. To mix you add the amount of powder you wish to use and mix it with water inside the can and it comes with a marble inside so that you can shake it up. This was helpful as I then could mix up a larger amount and cover it between coats. I did notice that the consistency is more foamy that what I am used to but it still applied well.

I did want to add some detail to the piece so I attach these wood applications with glue to each side of the front legs. I really liked the texture and detail that this gives the table.

I ended up applying two coats of the milk paint. And then it was time to seal the piece. I decided to seal it in a different way than I was used to with Real Milk Paint Company’s half and half oil. This oil is a sealer that is a mixture of tung oil and citrus solvent. It is similar to the hemp oil I have used in the past. Just a note that this type of sealer will definitely change the color of the piece, it makes the color richer. So if you like the look without the oil I would use a polyurethane instead.

The drawer linings also needed some updating so I removed the old liners and lined the drawers with some peel and stick wallpaper in a fun pattern.

To finish off the outside I chose copper knobs. For the bottom drawer pulls I couldn’t find any that were the correct width so I decided to spray paint the ones that were on there originally, and they turned out great.

And when it came to the top of the table makeover I knew i wanted to keep it white for a little bit of color contrast. I gave it a fresh coat of white paint and I decided to use a stencil with some gray paint.

I knew this was a furniture piece that I wanted to keep for myself so it now has a home in our living room. I love the way it looks and it adds another decorative piece and I can’t imagine this wall without it now. This is just one of those old handmade tables that can’t find anywhere else and all it needed was a table makeover!

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