A Dining Room Table Tale – Take Two
Since I didn’t have a before picture when I originally posted this makeover story, I thought it was worth retelling, now that I found one. If, however, you missed the first post or want more details you can find it here.
Once upon a time, about three years ago
A dining room table was thrown away with no legs to go
A DIY princess spotted it from the corner of her eye
Immediately, she thought of the landfill and said “ My; oh my”
Hauling it home, admiring its potential beauty
She knew with her magic she could make it a cutey.
Stripped, sanded and stained returning it to it’s former glory
A beautiful table top I now have, for the rest of this story.
What will I do for the legs?
Perhaps Ebay or Craig’s?
So she searched and she searched with all her might
Until she found some that she thought would be just right
When they arrived, so excited was she
She finished them right away, happy with glee
Ready to assemble, the fairytale turned nightmare
She thought to herself, this is quite rare
After many attempts, the legs just wouldn’t work
She had to contain herself so she wouldn’t go berserk
Sad, disappointed and not ready to give up, it was time to let it be known
By soliciting the help of her woodworker prince to make a design of her own
When these newly designed legs presented more attachment issues
She couldn’t believe it and reached for a tissue.
Saddened with grief and wallowing in desperation
She knew a thrift store would be her only salvation.
Off she went, quickly spotting a battered table
With a base that she hoped would be able.
$24.99, oh what a deal!
Her disappointment turned to excitement, she just wanted to squeal.
She carted it home, adjusted and refinished the base
Hoping all along that this will be her ace
The table is now finished, sitting in her dining room a tad too big
But she was glad it was over and did a jig
Sitting pretty, spared from the landfill, she has learned a lot.
When she finds a more suitable one, she will donate it on the spot.
Plan A: Ebay purchased stained a dark walnut shade.
One of many attempts to attach the legs. Okay, time for Plan B:
The legs I designed and my prince made from plywood.
I painted them chocolate brown.
Attachment and leg clearance issues followed. On to Plan C:
Found this table base at a thrift store.
Removed chipped laminate with a heating gun.
I gave it a good sanding.
After I stained it, this is what it looked like. Having worked with Poplar, I should have known better; this type of wood is meant to be painted, not stained.
So I worked some magic with brown paint and glaze to unify the color and then applied walnut stain on top of the paint/glaze layers to achieve the look you see in the photo of the finished table.
Side detail of the table. I like the carved design.
Close-ups of the finish. I used various shades of stain to create a subtle striped design.
And finally, the finished table.
The End
I am linking this post to :
Between Naps on he Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Reinvented: Trash to Treasure
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Wednesday
The Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday
Mustard Seed Creations: Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Nite Special
First Anniversary Giveaway ends March 29!
I love the table! I’m glad you re-posted it. I missed it the first time.
About the FrogTape – it’s treated with Paint Block, which is described as a paint activated micro barrier. Haven’t used it yet, but it sounds good!
Oh, my goodness! Your table turned out beautifully! How smart you are to do all of this and I know you and your family will enjoy it for years to come.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia
WOW, no way!! it turned out SO amazing. seriously, you’ve got SKILLS.
This is so beautiful. You did a wonderful job with the stripe and glaze techniques.
[...] The DIY Spot » Blog Archive » A Dining Room Table Tale – Take Two [...]
This is a divine remake. It looks expensive and will give you years of fabulous space for entertaining. Thanks…
WOW!!! Beautiful work.
You must be so excited to use it! Thanks for the visit today. 
i am in awe- you are so creative and even more so talented! this would be one of those ideas i might have that was lacking in execution, but man, you really pulled it through! looks fantastic!! hopped over from miss mustard seed!
Oh my. What a stunner! It looks like this table was always meant to be this way. You did a great job working around the challenges that came up. Well done!
that’s a really cool finished piece! good job!
This is absolutely beautiful! And having just worked with an incredibly difficult table, I truly appreciate what you did to overcome! It turned out perfectly! Nice to meet you -shaunna
Beautiful table….worth the wait and the work. Congratulations.
wow, that is quite a remake.
well done… btw check your email for a personal invite to join us on our blog next week!