The Twice-Painted Table
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Have you ever finished a project, only to have to immediately redo it? I have…
It’s worth it, though! I would much rather have a project done the right way even if it means redoing it. Besides, don’t we learn so much along the way?
This little table resided for many years in the music room at my church. It was very worn and in need of some TLC. They asked me if I’d redo it and I readily agreed!
While spots of the wood were still beautiful, the table was very beat-up, with one corner down to raw, dry wood.
One knob was missing and all the other knobs were broken. Its top was warped and one corner was pulling up.
It should be noted that the finish of the table was not entirely stain – the top and sides were merely old, brown paint. I tried sanding off some of the paint to see what was underneath, and the wood was less than impressive – not nearly as beautiful as the stained wood on the front.
Still, I could not bring myself to paint over all of the beautiful old patina. Thus I came to the decision to preserve some of the stained wood but paint the roughest parts. I would also replace the knobs.
Fusion Mineral Paint to the rescue! Have I mentioned how much I love this paint? No, they’re not telling me to say this, haha. Just the way it goes on so smoothly, is self-leveling, and has great coverage in such a beautiful array of sophisticated colors makes my furniture-painting self oh so happy! Even my husband, who is pretty particular about the diy products he uses, commented that it’s “really nice paint.” Ultimate endorsement!
I already had a few Fusion colors on hand, so I decided to try making my own blend.
I used 3 parts Heirloom to 1 part Coal Black.
This resulted in a color I dubbed “Vintage Country Blue.” I loved it so much!
To spruce up the stained parts I was keeping, I applied some boiled linseed oil. Use a clean, lint-free cotton rag to apply a thin layer to your wood, then gently wipe off any excess and let it dry. It’s that simple and it makes such an amazing difference in the richness of the wood!
I used the linseed oil on both the drawer fronts and the feet of the table.
To replace the knobs, I ordered these from Amazon. I wanted something simple and classic and they fit the bill.
Here’s a tip for painting knobs – attach them to a piece of cardboard using screws. Just poke a hole through the cardboard with the screw and attach the knob on top. This will help you keep the knob stable and turn it more easily while painting without getting paint on your fingers!
Another tip – if you set your project piece up on canned goods, it will make it easier to get to the very bottom of the feet. In my case, I wasn’t painting the feet, but it made it easier to rub them with the boiled linseed oil. I use the cans upside down so that when I open them I don’t get chippy paint in the peaches.
To fix the popping-up tabletop, my handy hubby installed a bracket inside the table. I know nothing about it other than it helped!
Once everything was dry and reassembled, this little table made its way back to church….
…and it looked SO out of place.
My “vintage country blue,” which worked perfectly with my style, didn’t fit the choir room at all. The “choir room” is actually the old sanctuary with super high ceilings, wood beams, arched stone doorways, lots of wood paneling, and so on.
When choosing a color, I had drawn on the cool tones of the stone archways but had not considered the warm, reddish tones of all the wood paneling and furniture.
The table came back home with me for a second try.
Fusion Mineral to the rescue again! This time I went with Bayberry, a warm, sophisticated green reminiscent of a painted harpsichord.
It worked so much better.
Unfortunately my photos with the green are not nearly so styled and staged as the blue, as I was pressed for time and just needed some final photos. The lighting was also not as great, so these don’t fully do it justice.
Please just believe me when I say it works SO much better in the space!
So what’s the moral of this twice-painted story?
1. It’s not just about what one likes – it’s about what works well in the intended space.
2. A project is worth redoing to get it right – always.
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