How to Rescue a Vintage Side Table
The world is filled with such lovely people! Debbi, a sweet blog follower, gave me a number of items left over from her spring cleaning. She had held a garage sale and made a donation to her temple’s garage sale, but set aside several items just for me.
One item in particular, a Victorian Eastlake piece, really captured my imagination, and I decided to share how to rescue a vintage side table in a couple of easy steps.
It has all sorts of wonderful gingerbread details that I knew paint would highlight nicely.
A little scuffed and scratched (and watermarked on the top), some paint and stain would go a long way toward beautifying her.
Made of pine, she was quite light and easy to work with.
I decided to paint the base and stain the top a dark walnut. I gave her two coats of latex “antique white,” oops paint and sanded the edges and all the sticky-outy parts.
As expected the paint and sanding highlighted all of the pretty features to perfection.
Next, I lightly sanded the top of the table, only to discover that in the process, I removed all of the water stains, so I no longer needed to stain it.
I just gave it, and the base, two coats of polyurethane with good results.
The original medium brown stain worked nicely with the antique white base.
Right?
So here she is in all of her glory, out on my [overgrown] lawn, LOL. I’ve no place in the house to photograph furniture well, so out she went for her photo shoot.
As soon as I have space in my booth, she’ll go up to the Gristmill Antique Center with a $60-$70.00 price tag, to start. UPDATE: It sold for $68!
Thanks for stopping by and reading about my side table rescue. What vintage project is on your workbench?
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I’d love it if you’d pin me!
Beautiful table! The paint really does bring out the wonderful lines!
Thanks so much LInda 🙂 Yes, sometimes it’s a downright miracle–
This table turned out so lovely. You’re inspiring me to get back to working on a wood child’s chair I got free by the side of the road! – Karen
Ooh! I love being inspirational, Karen 🙂 Happy DIYing!
Wonderful job!
Thanks so much, Debbie!
I absolutely think it is amazing! Can you share what type of poly you used on the piece?
Hi Bonnie! I used Minwax Fast-Drying Poly in their clear satin. Glad you liked the piece 🙂
What a beautiful little table! I love the little finial in the center of the base!
Tania
Thanks so much Tania 🙂
The turned out beautifully. It has such sweet details!
Thanks so much Sharon–I agree, those details make the table, right?!
Great job! I love your ability to see the “good” in some of the old, forgotten pieces. If I lived in NY, I’d be up buying this table for sure! So unique!
That’s high praise, Anita!! Much appreciated, too 🙂 SO glad you liked the project–
I’m amazed by what you can do with paint. Hard to believe its the same table.
Thank you Marcia!! SO sweet of you to say–glad you like it 🙂
LOVE the transformation!
Thanks so much Kim!! That means a lot 🙂
Very good job on the table! Good luck selling it in your booth!
Thanks so much Dana! I brought it up this past Saturday–we’ll see how it goes 🙂
It would be fun to see some photos of your booth. I love to see how others decorate and stock their booths, helps me with ideas for mine! Blessings to you!
Love it! Now it needs some late Victorian knick knacks on top! Maybe a candy dish with chocolate! Congrats on getting girl child off to school; it is hard. I was lucky; although both my kids lived on campus, they were only about 12 miles from home!
It’s up at the shop with an brass lamp (with two hurricane lamp shades) and a tray filled with pretties. I think you’d approve, Kathy 🙂 Yes, you were lucky, but mine’s only an hour and a half away–not too far, but not too close, lol!
Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks Lindzey!
I love what you did with this gorgeous table. The paint certainly brought out the details! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for your kind comments, Fonda 🙂 Glad you liked the project!
It is such a cute little table!
Thanks Rose–glad you like it!
What a great rescue job! I’m sure it will sell fast!
Karee
I hope so Karee! Glad you liked it 🙂
I’ve been crazy busy the past couple of weeks and am just catching up today – it’s so nice to see that my table, which I had hidden in a closet and was using as a TV stand, has been given a new life. It looks wonderful!
I’m so glad you got to see it and that you like it Debbi! I’m slowly but surely going through your kind gifts — sorting and photographing 🙂 Thank you again!!
Lovely! So all you did was sand the top? Then poly? That’s amazing! I have a similar table I bought at a garage sale for $10, and it has water spots on top. It’s got some wood inlay designs so I just hate to paint it although it has lovely details on the legs & skirt that would lend itself well to paint. Pinned your project!
I’d definitely give the sanding a try. It just so happened with this piece that it had just a light coat of varnish that sanded off quite easily. Not every piece will be like that, darn it! Hope yours is, though, Florence. Let me know how the project goes 🙂
You dragged that table into now—kudos, Sandi
I guess I did, didn’t I Sandi! Glad you like it 🙂
What a great find! You made it look spectacular! Great job! I need to go find your shop.
You’re too kind, Sue! Thank you 🙂 Are you in the capital region?
No, I’m in the central or Syracuse region. My niece lives in the Albany area, so I might get there some day.
Gotcha! Nice to have some Upstate NY followers, Sue 🙂