Thrift Store Table Overhaul

A few weeks ago, I took a quick run through our local Goodwill. I used to do a lot more junking and antiquing than I do now, so I’ve been missing it! Right as I was about to walk out the door, this table caught my eye and when I saw the price I was sold. I figured for $12.99 I didn’t have much to lose. I also loved the height of it to use for a craft and project table. Currently, I either spread out on our dining room table when I’m working on something, but then I have to move it for meal times … or I try to cram things onto a smaller table in our spare bedroom.

The table needed a good cleaning and new hardware in a couple of spots. My plan was to remove the old finish and see what the wood looked like underneath. First I used Citristrip to remove as much of the top layer as I could ..

Then I sanded … and sanded … and sanded … and sanded some more 🤪

I loved what I found once all the old was gone, so I kept the natural raw look and just used a couple of things to enhance it … a thin layer of white wax and then a mixture of Weathered Oak and Early American stain. The white wax can help tone down the yellow/orange tones of the wood and add a little bit of an aged look. The stain then helps to bring the wood grain out and warm it back up.

Last, I did just a little bit of Polycrylic top coat to seal it all up! We got it moved in to our breakfast nook by our kitchen (which of course led me to thinking about making some changes in there haha!), and I’m already enjoying using it.

Another plus is that it will give us extra spots for guests when we need it. These stools HERE were a little too short for our kitchen bar, but I think they may be the perfect match for this table!

Not too bad for just under thirteen bucks! Yes, it took me a long time to work on it, but that’s the fun of it for me … turning my mind off, listening to some music, and creating!