New Project-Old Table new look

Over a year ago I found this great old oak desk (I say desk because it has 2 drawers) at an estate sale. The price was great and so I snapped it up.

We brought it home, and DH decided to start stripping the finish to re-do it. I thought it was fine as it was and would have just rubbed it down with some Howards wax and called it done.

Before long we realized that this table had been finished with some kind of steroid varnish that was about 1/8" thick and nothing would budge it without lots and lots of work. We tried scraping, chemicals, sanding etc.



So it sat in the barn for a year collecting dust.

Last week I decided that I was going to paint the top and rub the bottom with Howards and if DH didn't like it I would sell it. So I got started.

First I roughed up the remaining finish with the belt sander, and softened some of the edges where we had been able to strip finish and where we had not.

Then I began to put a coat of paint, only on the top. I'll be doing a distressed technique to it next.


I forgot to get a true before pic so this will have to be it. I had already started with the paint.

Right after this my allergies kicked in and it got cold and wet outside. So things slowed down, but I am making progress. More pics tomorrow. Needless to say, DH loves it now :)

This is only the beginning of my painting technique.
I'll be showing it step-by-step all week.