I got this table for $50. It is solid. Super heavy, solid wood with an amazing pedestal base. The only problem? I didn’t love the dark espresso finish, but it didn’t really matter because the finish was starting to wear, so it needed a makeover either way.

Here’s a pic of what it looked like when I bought it:

I LOOOVEEEEED the raw wood look, but with a bit of stain still showing through in parts (like the cracks). So away I went with sanding. And honestly, that’s really all there is to this project: Sanding & sealing.

In hindsight, I could’ve made this DIY job a tad simpler. I could’ve stripped it instead of sanding it all by hand. I don’t love the chemicals associated with furniture stripping, but I could’ve used Citristrip, instead. Lesson learned.

Full disclosure: This took me hours upon hours to sand, but I didn’t mind because I loved it so much, and it was a nice weather forecast. Had I to do it all over again though, I probably would’ve started with Citristrip, and then moved on from there.

Now for step 2: SEALING. I used a water-based poly for this because it doesn’t yellow and it’s not smelly. Big bonuses in my opinion.

I did 2 coats on the majority, but 3 for the top since this is the table my 3 girls eat breakfast at (and it generally takes a beating on the daily).

That’s it! Simple project (but long-ish timeline due to sanding) complete!

Major lessons learned:

1. If you love the lines of a piece of furniture, you can always change the finish.
2. Sanding takes time & strength. Make things easier on yourself and use a (less harsh) furniture stripper like Citristrip.
3. Seal, seal, seal. You did all the hard work of refinishing. Now make sure you protect it.
4. Sometimes less is more (in terms of stain, paint, etc.). In this case, all I applied to the piece was a clear matte sealant.

Happy DIY-ing!!!!