Once upon a time, I acquired a beautiful kitchen table from my mother and father. The table had served us well over the years, and instead of finding a new one, I knew I could give it a brand new life.
To redo any piece of furniture, you first need to figure out a plan. For this particular piece, I decided to go with a mix of painted and stained stripes. Before you start, make sure to thoroughly clean the area you will be working with; any all-purpose cleaner will do. This table originally had a stained top and I wanted to start with the raw wood.
To do this start with lower grit sandpaper and work your way up to higher grit for a completely smooth finish. Start with a grit of 120, slowly sanding in the same direction of the wood grain. After you have removed the stain with 120-grit move up to 180-grit, then to 220 and finish off with a grit of 320. This ensures a very smooth tabletop. After you finish sanding, once again thoroughly clean the surface of the table. I use cheesecloth to clean, as it eliminates the chance of lint. Continue to clean the table until the cloth comes out clean.
Depending on how you have decided to refinish your table, you can now start staining, or painting the design. If you have chosen to use a solid stain, make sure to stain in the same direction of the wood grain. After you have finished the first coat of stain, make sure to wipe off any excess. Stain does not need to sit and penetrate. You always want to wipe off the excess and allow at least a 24-hour drying period in between each coat. Usually applying a minimum of three coats of stain will ensure a fabulous finish.
If you are going to be painting instead of staining, be sure to paint in the direction of the wood grain and once again, allow plenty of drying time in between each coat. It is always best to do a light sanding with 320-grit sandpaper in between each coat to keep the smooth surface.
Since I was going to be doing a design using both stained and painted stripes alternately, it was time to prepare for the stripes. Using a measuring tape, a level and a pencil, mark the top and bottom lines of where each stripe will go. Then make a light pencil mark between them along a straight edge. (Be very precise here, as any mistakes will be obvious! You will probably need to enlist a helper to hold the straight edge while you draw the line.) Place the painter’s tape along the pencil line outside the area to be painted. Press firmly so the sides of the tape are flush or you risk jagged lines.
Begin painting over the tape and into the given area to ensure crisp lines. Do not paint against the edge of the tape, or you will run the risk of paint seeping underneath the tape. After you have finished three coats of paint, immediately remove the painters’ tape to avoid pulling off paint. After your paint has dried, go back and stain your remaining stripes immediately removing any stain that overflows onto the painted stripes.
At this point, I decided to lightly distress the table. Finish up with at least three coats of polyurethane, polycrylic or a wax. I chose polycrylic for this project because it does not yellow. To ensure a hard finish, do a minimum of three coats and again lightly sand in between each coat with a high grit sandpaper. Allow at least 48 hours before using the surface to ensure a hard finish. Step back and enjoy your new kitchen table.
Email and let me know what furniture pieces you are working with. I always enjoy seeing other projects. Good luck!