Kitchen Table

I'll be honest, this was a full weekend project for two people, but the result is better than I expected for my first attempt at staining! I had an idea in mind for a kitchen table, but couldn't find a table in the furniture stores that matched the look (or price) I had in my head. So I headed to Craigslist. The $90 solid oak table was in pieces to make it easier to move, but I regret not taking more "before" pictures. After years of children, pets, and some major splatter disaster on the legs, the table was loved, to say the least:

What you'll need:

• A piece of furniture to stain!
• A tarp
• Rubber gloves
• Basic cleaning materials to scrub down the piece of dirt/food splatters, etc. 
• Sand Paper (80 Grit, 150 Grit, 220 Grit) - Variety packs available
• Hand Sander- we decided an electric sander would be awkward on the nooks and crannies, but if you have both to use, by all means, do!
• Tack Cloth
• Varathane Wood Stain (Red Oak) - 1 Quart can from Home Depot was plenty
• Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Premium Latex Paint (Gloss Almond) - 1 Quart
• Miniwax Water Based Polycrylic Protective Finish (Clear Satin) - 8 oz. can was just enough
• Patience. Don't rush through the sanding or the paint drying between layers! 

Step 1 was to clean it and sand it down. As mentioned before, it required a lot of cleaning and I was very happy to have some extra gloves lying around. This was the most labor intensive and probably what caused the sore muscles on day 2. We first used a very tough paper (80 Grit) to get the original stain off, followed by alternating lighter papers (150 and 220 Grit) to smooth out the wood. Sand WITH the grain. You want it very smooth, this is where you'll be eating dinner!

We were anxious to start the staining after how long the sanding took. It was important to do long strokes (rather than short back and forth strokes) so as not to show streaks. You also want to make sure you aren't leaving ridges of stain from the strokes or drips at the end of the wood. The imperfections won't go away when you dry, so you should take your time. 

We used Varathane Red Oak Wood Stain We let the first layer dry overnight and decided to add a second layer the next day. The color was significantly darker after the second layer, so be sure you want that before opting for a second layer. 

After that layer dried, we did a top layer of Polycrylic protective finish, this required 4-5 layers, completely drying and dusting with a tack cloth in between each layer. This is what "seals" your table, so it can be used day-to-day and easily cleaned.

We chose Rust-Oleum Gloss almond latex paint for the legs and frame of the table. It was a pleasant cream that was very handsome with the stain. We did not sand the legs and painted each leg detached from the table. Once they dried, we screwed them into the table and painted the table frame. We learned the hard way that you should paint the leaf of the table separate if you ever want to take the leaf out again, as the dried paint will make it stick together.

The chairs were difficult. We tried to get away with only sanding the seats, but we found that the paint wasn't sticking and it was strip the previous paint with each stroke, leaving a clumpy finish. The sanding was awkward but worth it in the end. We stained only the seats and put 4-5 layers of finish on each of them as well (not on the painted portion). Make sure to get every side of the chair. There are a lot more nooks and crannies on there than you'd think!

Voila! The finished table!

It was a lot of work, but it was a labor of love and makes the piece special! Everyone is surprised when they find out I didn't buy it from a furniture store. I'd definitely do this more frequently and sell them if I had the space!