School Street Table

Late in the day last week, I decided to dash into an estate sale in our village and I was glad I did. This little table was sitting forlornly at the end of an upstairs hallway just waiting for me. I immediately noticed her curvy lines and solid structure and knew she would shine with just a bit of elbow grease and a fresh coat of paint.

The house was in terrible disrepair. Water-stained walls, stinky carpeting, grime… it was nasty! So I decided to put forth a little more effort than was probably necessary to ensure this piece was clean and ready to go into a modern home. I sanded it thoroughly and scrubbed it down to eliminate any lingering “ick” from its previous life. Then the restoration began…

First I used Frogtape to protect the top from paint splatters since I intended to keep the top natural. Next I applied two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to the body and legs of the little table. This piece is old and was missing a bit of veneer so I decided to decoupaged some print from an antique book I had laying around (circa 1894) where the old veneer had peeled away. Next I glued and nailed a nice wood embellishment I bought at Home Depot to the front since I thought it needed a little punch.

I mixed a teeny bit of Annie Sloan Dark Wax with some mineral spirits and lightly brushed the liquid mixture on the front to darken the edges of the front panel, similar to the original look. I also dribbled the dark wax mixture into the wooden embellishment and into the leg details. I’d never used this technique before and I really liked the result. Warmed it up nicely.

I used decoupage glue to adhere the vintage paper to the wood, coated it with more decoupage glue, and waxed over the entire piece, including the paper/veneer areas to ensure a strong bond.

After some light sanding and scuffing, I applied three coats of dark wax to enhance the mahogany top and a coat of clear wax to the whole piece. Next time I’ll remember to wear gloves when I’m using the dark wax! My hands are NOT picture pretty right now! But this little table is and I had lots of fun giving her a makeover.

I paid $15 for the table. A nice bargain for such a sturdy and unique vintage piece that is sure to last another hundred years. Thanks for your visit. I’d love you to follow me on Facebook if you’re not already. Lots happening at the cottage-on-the-creek these days. Stay tuned!

Originally posted on Cottage and Creek.