Our lower level was flooded in 2012’s Midwest flood. We were lucky as I didn’t loose much furniture as we woke during the flood and moved our stuff to high ground. After our home was repaired and re-done, I took my furniture out of storage to find a few pieces had gotten beat up in the move. I am obsessed with Pinterest and was inspired to repair some pieces.
I had a table I loved that I wanted to salvage. So here’s what I did.
This little table (from Pier One) was about 15 years old. Had great detailed painting on it, and I loved it but it had a little water damage and a lot of chips from the storage unit.
BEFORE:
After much research and inspiration on Pinteret and online DIY blogs….I understood that I had to first had to figure out what kind of wood it was made of. It became apparent that it was painted laminate over wood. That along with some missing chips and some deep gouges on the legs determined I was going to paint it.
STEP 1: PREP
First I lightly sanded the whole thing (as seen above, it’s been lightly sanding with fine sandpaper). Used 350 grit and 450 grit sandpaper.
I filled in some gouges with some wood filler, let them dry for a couple of hours and sanded again. I wiped the whole thing down with tack-cloth, so get off all the dust, grit and shavings. She was ready for priming.
STEP 2: PRIMING
I primed the whole thing with a foam paint roller and a new paint brush. I can’t find the picture I took of the primed table. I also did the front of the drawer as well after I removed the knob. I used minimal paint on the roller to avoid globs and drips. I forgot to take pictures. I primed the front of the drawer out of the table and the entire table with special attention to the legs and they were the most beat up.
STEP 3: PAINTING
Picking a paint color was one of the hardest parts. After much deliberation I decided on a bold red. I decided on “Lady Bug” by Martha Stewart. I really loved the bright red and thought it would look great compared to my newly painted earth tone walls in my lower level (the one that flooded)
I used the foam roller again and a foam brush for corners and small spots. I wanted a smooth finish with a tiny bit of texture as the table was not perfect.
It took about 3-4 coats of paint (I did not prime red, which I should have) but I was being budget conscious.
STEP 4: DEPTH
I really like the red, but found it a little boring, so I did a wipe on of the most awesome product ever. After the table sat for about a week to totally dry, I put a little of Martha Stewart Metallic Glaze, Color Coffee Bean on a rag and wiped it on the top in broad strokes and some on the legs. It added a sheen and a little dimension to the color.
STEP 5: PROTECT
I did a spray of Minwax Polycrylic clear coat to seal it and protect it, as it would keep it looking good as long as possible. In hindsight, I should have used the roll on kind, as it left a bit of a texture on the table I did not expect…but it still looked great.
FINAL PRODUCT: FINAL TOUCH
I put on a new glass knob and this is my finished table.
