Q: What smells like oranges and is grey and brown all over?

A: Me! After transforming a $75 old wood table from craigslist into the kitchen table of my dreams.

I knew I wanted a round kitchen table in this house before we even signed the papers. Like everything though my dreams exceeded my budget, and my husbands comprehension of what pretty things in this world cost. So I took things into my own hands to assure I got what I wanted. Also when you know you can do things yourself it makes it hard to shell out the dough for someone else's labor. Plus doing things yourself allows you to customize things to your own liking.

I first stripped the table, and to be honest this was the first time I have ever stripped anything. Usually I just rough it up with sandpaper, but since this table will be used on a daily bases and had a factory finish on it I opted to strip it. My dilemma was that I was going to have to strip it indoors since it is too cold in the garage and outside. So finding a stripper that was not harsh with toxic fumes was a must. I came across CitriStrip at my local hardware store. I was hesitant about how well it would work, but I gave it a try. It not only worked fantastic, but it made my whole basement smell like oranges. It is still very messy so you will want to put some plastic down. I also found that the plastic scrappers worked better than the metal scrappers on this project.

After all the stripping was done and the table was cleaned off I lightly sanded any rough areas with a fine sandpaper, and wiped off any dust with a lint free rag. Remember the lower the number the heavier the sandpaper. Then it was time to paint...

I wanted a grey paint and found a really nice color from Benjamin Moore called San Antonio Gray. I always get my Benjamin Moore colors mixed at Home-depot in Behr paint to save a little money. Most the time they have the formulas in their system so you just have to give them the color name. I choose a satin finish for this project. To paint the table I used foam brushes to get the smoothest application, and in-between coats buffed the table with crumbled up brown paper bags. If your bags have print on them make sure you do not use the side with print to buff. I did two coats of paint on my table. If you want it to be more durable you can do up to three coats. It looked great just like that, but I wanted something with a little more character.

So after painting the whole table I roughed up some of the edges and raised portions by sanding them down to the bare wood. This will give it an antiqued look. I also got a small scrap piece of wood and randomly pounded some nails through it and then in select places hit it against my table making little pin holes in the wood. Once I got the desired look I wanted I went on to the next step of glazing...

The glaze color I used is called Van Dyke Brown and is from a local wood furniture store called Wood Connection. They have beautiful furniture and offer both finished and unfinished pieces. They have both a showroom and a factory in Salt Lake (I have only been to the factory though). The people are very helpful and nice and I highly recommend buying from them. They have great how to instructions for different projects, you just have to ask for them. I thinned the glaze with a little water and applied it to the table in sections using a foam brush and then wiped it off immediately with a lint free rag. This process is a lot easier if you get a friend or hubby to help you. That way one of you can apply the glaze and the other can wipe. The glaze looks best if you brush and wipe in long stokes going with the grain of the wood.

Next I applied a stain to the sanded areas of the table. The glaze did not darken the sanded areas like I wanted so this is how got my desired look. I bought a little can of Minwax stain in Dark Walnut and simply applied it to the sanded areas with a q-tip and then wiped it off with a rag. The longer you leave the stain on the darker it will make the wood, but you really need not leave it on for any longer than a minute at the very most. Now my table was ready for the final step.

Last but not least I applied 3 coats of top coat in a satin finish to the entire table. I bought this top coat at the furniture store along with the glaze. It is a self leveling top coat and is also applied with a foam brush. The key to this step is to not over brush, and to use long even overlapping strokes. This top coat process is to not be overlooked. It will make all the difference and give your project a truly professional look. It also makes your paint job and piece that much more durable.

I am so happy with my final product! It is just how I imagined. I was nervous about the paint color and antiquing because my plan all along has been to paint my kitchen cabinets the same as this table. Now I am more excited than ever to one day transform my kitchen with this same color and process.

Soon I will be buying this light to go over the table...

and possibly these chairs.

Now if I could just get rid of that carpet in there. That will not be for a few more years I'm afraid.

Note: Like always if you need help with a project or have questions about this one just send me an email or leave a comment.