Furniture Flip

Before

After

Well, I started this blog to share pictures of paper crafts, but after this fun project, I have to share these photos with you.  It was so much fun to transform these boring tables into colorful, distressed pieces. I found a set of tables on Craig's List.  I only needed a console table and an end table but it came with a console table, 2 end tables and a coffee table and was such a great deal, I couldn't pass it up. :)   So...I'm splitting them up and keeping 2 and giving 2 to my 23 year old son for his apartment.  I chose turquoise and my son, Jordan, chose red. We haven't finished his coffee table but here are photos of what we've done so far.  Sorry for the poor quality of the photos.

Before

 

After table 1

My sister, Shannon, came over and helped me with mine.  She was a great help! Then Jordan came over and we did his end table.

Here's the process of the flip:  I removed the hardware and stored it in a safe place. ;) For the sanding I started out using a 7" round orbital sander.  That was WAY too much power and was all over the place.  So I switched to a palm sander and that was perfect.  We totally removed all varnish off of the top of the tables so it would accept the stain better.  We sanded the bottoms pretty good but not totally down to the bare wood.  We then taped off the top and spray painted the bottoms of mine with Rustoleum's Satin Lagoon, a dark turquoise.  I sprayed 2-3 coats, letting them dry in between. On Jordan's we used a Rustoleum Satin with a brick red top.  It had no name on it.  I think he did 3-4 coats for coverage.

We then took some fine grit sandpaper and just sanded the edges of the legs here and there, and wherever it looked like it would have been worn over time.  I stained the top of mine with a mixture of Minwax stain, 3 parts Ebony and 1 part Red Mahogany.  Then we wiped a little stain on the bottom of the table here and there so they would look distressed and aged.
We sprayed the bottoms with a clear acrylic finish, but wanted a more durable finish for the tops.  The handles looked ok on the turquoise but I decided to spray paint them a bright silver and I think they pop more.  We left them the antiqued silver on Jordan's red table. Oh, Jordan liked a lighter stain on his table top, so his stain ratio is more like 2 parts Ebony and 3 parts Red Mahogany.

I still have to put 3 coats of Polycrylic on the tops, sanding in between each layer. (but not the top layer)  Then they will be finished!  I can't wait, so I'm gonna get back out in the 102 degree Texas heat in the morning.  Well, maybe I can get it done before the temperature gets that hot.  Check back, soon I'll have completed pictures of all the tables including the coffee table.

Shannon and Jordan and I really enjoyed redoing these tables.  If you do a project send me the link to the photos and instructions on how you did it.  I think I could get into this!  :)