This kitchen table restore is one of my favorite projects. My friend found this beauty on the side of the road and agreed to let me restore it for her. Though it took time, the restore was simple. And it was amazing watching this table come back to life.
The table itself was beautiful and sturdy, it just needed a little attention on the surface. So off to sanding I went. I did quite a bit of sanding on the top, to strip the original finish and smooth out scratches and dents. The legs only needed a light sanding.
After an quick cleaning with a liquid sander, I went straight for the chalk paint. And can I mention, I LOVE chalk paint! It’s so easy to work with, dries quickly, and goes on almost anything. Chalk paint is my go-to for most of my projects, with few exceptions. But more on that another time.
I did two coats of charcoal on the legs, and four of the white on the table top. I wanted a very clean white on the top, so this took several layers. A light sanding on the table top in between the third and fourth coats helped smooth out the texture. It ended up looking smooth and crisp, and SO pretty. Voila…a beautiful kitchen table restore!
I finished the table with three coats of water-based poly. Supposedly, the water-based yellows less than oil based. Also much easier to work with. I ended up going with three layers for extra durability.
The last steps were the hardest…waiting for the poly to cure and giving it back to my friend! I let it sit in my garage for a few weeks to let everything harden before delivering it to it’s home. I fell in love with this table and it was so hard to part with it!