Let me start by saying that this little project took way longer than it should have. For two reasons: 1 - I'm nine months pregnant and doing anything for long periods of time is kind of exhausting. 2 - I didn't exactly know what I was doing or what I wanted to end result to be when I first started. So I took my time figuring it all out. That said, I am so thrilled that it is finally done and I am so happy with the finished product!
When Mr. Peach and I were first married my mother in law gifted us a set of end tables she no longer had use for. We had a big house to fill and I was grateful for anything and everything to put in it. They didn't match anything else we had, but I was too busy to care or do anything to change them. They were originally used as side tables in the living room, then nightstands in the guest bedroom when we lived in Louisiana, and for now they're acting as end tables in our rental home.
Being on maternity leave for the summer and dreaming of our soon to be built farmhouse, I was inspired to finally do something about these little out of place tables. Our dining table and bench are stained black as well as our kitchen table and chairs, so I figured stripping and staining these little guys black was as good an option as any.
Before this project I had never stripped wood before. In the past I have either worked with raw wood that had never been painted or stained, or simply painted over what was already in place. With these I knew I wanted to still be able to see the woodgrain only with a darker finish which basically left me no choice but to strip them.
Enter Pinterest and Youtube (seriously, how did we ever do anything before the internet?). I did my research, picked my stripper and went to town. I was so excited. And then I wasn't. I chose EZ Strip, a product with good reviews for its ability to get the job done without a lot of fumes (I am 9 months preggo here after all). Unfortunately it just didn't perform as promised. It put me in a bad mood for a couple of days and I was ready to call it quits and take the tables to Goodwill. Seriously, they looked awful.
But, I put my big girl panties on, headed back to Home Depot and got a new stripper. Let's just say next time I have to strip wood I will start with CitriStrip. The stuff is as good as everyone says it is. And it didn't make me feel like I was breathing toxic chemicals into my little one. I sprayed it on, waited the recommended time, and scraped all of the varnish and stain off my tables like it was melted butter. Pure joy, I tell you, pure joy. I almost didn't want to stain the tables afterwards because the raw wood looked so beautiful.
(Side note: one can of CitriStrip was enough for both tables)
After stripping, just for good measure, I sanded them down with a palm sander and 60 grit sandpaper followed by 320 for a smooth finish. I chose Minwax Ebony as my stain (the same used on our previously mentioned pieces) and applied two coats to get it dark enough to my liking. After roughing up the edges a little with some sandpaper I finished them off with a coat of polyurethane. I was going for that slightly distressed Pottery Barn look and I think they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.
I kept the original hardware and let it soak in a bowl of 1/2 vinegar + 1/2 hydrogen peroxide for a day to get a patina finish.
Finally, after a month - and a few tears - these beauties are back inside and I couldn't be happier with they way they turned out. They are going to look so great in the farm house! And now that I kind of know what I'm doing, I think that my next project will be to strip and restain the legs of the sofas to match... after baby Peach gets here.
(Side note: one can of CitriStrip was enough for both tables)
After stripping, just for good measure, I sanded them down with a palm sander and 60 grit sandpaper followed by 320 for a smooth finish. I chose Minwax Ebony as my stain (the same used on our previously mentioned pieces) and applied two coats to get it dark enough to my liking. After roughing up the edges a little with some sandpaper I finished them off with a coat of polyurethane. I was going for that slightly distressed Pottery Barn look and I think they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.
Finally, after a month - and a few tears - these beauties are back inside and I couldn't be happier with they way they turned out. They are going to look so great in the farm house! And now that I kind of know what I'm doing, I think that my next project will be to strip and restain the legs of the sofas to match... after baby Peach gets here.
