A very good friend of mine gave me her families dining room table and chairs. It has lots of wear that I immediately fell in love with. I felt like the table had heard many stories over the years. The cross braces had wear spots where peoples feet had rested over coffee and meals. It was really important to me to keep the ageing in tact. I gave it a solid scrub with Thieves Household cleaner to remove any chemical residue. Hand sanding the top of the table allowed me to even out the wear while being careful not to sand through the veneer.
Being able to see the age and character in the table top was a priority so I decided to try mixing a small amount of dark wax with mineral spirits. It helps protect the surface while evening out the colour and bringing the age marks more visible.
Painting the bottom of the table I felt would bring out the character and I used Country Chic Sugar Plum. This colour is by far my favourite, it’s rich and has a blue undertone so it compliments many different colour palettes.
Using baby wipes I wiped the paint off the portions of the spindles that had more wear so you could see the character. A gentle sanding brought the character out even more and a coat of clear wax protects the whole piece.
It now graces my office as a desk and I swear I can hear it telling stories when I sit down with a cup of tea and my feet resting where so many have before me.