Throwback to my Refinishing two Sweet Country End Tables!

A couple of end tables that turned out far better than I ever could have hoped… As far as before and afters goes I think this might be my proudest moment. I’m not sure what these end tables screamed before I refinished them but it wasn’t great. Maybe 70s basement? All they were missing was the wood paneling element… Honestly I wasn’t sure what was going to be under that orange stain (and years upon years of living) but as soon as I started sanding I was blown away. The solid wood tops on these were just absolutely GORGEOUS.

Paint and stain combos were pretty big back then and I thought these were the perfect opportunity to try it out for myself and am so glad I did. I absolutely love how these turned out.

You can see one of them here in our recent living room makeover but both of them will be going to our basement here in the next few months to complete our guest suite!

Here is the original post from May, 2016:

The weekend before last I ran over to an estate sale not far from us and scored big. For $100 I picked up a wooden sofa, matching chair and coffee table, a rocking chair and these two end tables.

I am planning on refinishing the rocking chair (see it here!) and selling it on craig’s list to try to recoup some of that $100 I spent. But the sofa, matching chair and coffee table I have big plans for on my deck (see them here!).

Meanwhile, I went to work on these two old end tables almost immediately thinking that I could really use them in my living room. On top of that, I’ve just been chomping at the bit to try the refinished top and painted base that I’ve been seeing online so much lately that I just love.

They were pretty beat up, the previous owners owned cats and the resulting scratches everywhere throughout all of the furniture was pretty impressive. I got out my electric sander and started in on the top and could not believe how easily they sanded down and just how pretty the wood was!

I had a moments hesitation when the wood lover in me thought that I should just keep on sanding and refinish the whole pieces but in my house, everything is already wood! I have dark wood floors and I didn’t want these little end tables to become totally lost – so, I grabbed my paint brush and some flat white paint. It took three coats of paint and I probably should have done four but I was so sick of lying on concrete at that point and, honestly, you can’t tell the difference. I also grabbed a satin poly acrylic and ended up doing three coats of sealant over the entirety of each table. Paying special attention to the tops, I didn’t want to be worried about putting a glass down on them because that’s what they’re there for!

The tops turned out just SO pretty! And they were unique as well, I’ve never seen tables with such “slanted down” corners before, makes me wonder whether they were made that way or if they had been refinished before and someone else got very carried away with a sander. Of the two end tables only one had a drawer so I removed the hardware and soaked it in vinegar for awhile then scrubbed it up with steel wool. Amazing what just a little elbow grease will do!

Because I was using a kitchen table and a plant stand for “end tables” before – these end tables really opened up my living room – I can’t believe how big it looks and feels now! I will have to post a before and after of the whole living room but it desperately needs a rug and I still need to hide the television cables in the wall so I keep on hesitating. I’m sure every blogger does it, “I can’t post that online yet, its not done!” Yeah, well, truth is, is any room ever really done!?

I’m very happy with how these sweet little end tables came out. Honestly, this was the first time I’ve painted over solid wood but the fact that they were not family heirlooms made it considerably easier. I think they came out nice and I will definitely be experimenting with wood and paint combinations again in the future.