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Refinishing An Oak Dining Table

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I’m a few days late in posting this (busy week!) but I’m so excited to show you how the top of our dining room table turned out!

The table (which has 10 leaves) was originally purchased by my great, great Grandfather August in 1900 as a wedding present for his bride. I think it lived in my great, great Aunt’s house for a while before it was eventually handed down to my mom. We gathered around it for many a family meal when I was a child in Minnesota, and then again, as an adult, at her current home in Florida. She passed the table on to me a year or so ago, and I’m thrilled to have it here in our home. Kevin and Steevenson are doing homework at it as I type and I can’t tell you how much it warms my heart to see them bonding there. 🙂

The original varnish has purpled over the years and the top has really taken a beating. Many of the leaves are still in good condition because they lived in storage for many years, but one day I’d like to refinish them all too. Here’s a look back at the two ends (pushed together) before we sanded them back and re-stained/re-sealed them:

We used Ready Strip (from Home Depot) to remove the old varnish then sanded with several different grits of sandpaper (60, 80, 120, 150, 220) and here’s what they look like today!

You can see the new stain colors, which are one quart of Varathane’s Early American and 8 ounces of Classic Gray mixed together in an empty gallon-sized bucket, and one coat of Varathane’s Aged Wood Accelerator. I used two coats of Varathane’s Ultimate Water-Based Polyurethane to seal it. Oh! And I also brushed on a coat of wood conditioner before I stained too! And look how well the new ends match the existing leaves. I’m so pleased we don’t have to worry about doing those for a while. You can see how purple the leg is in comparison to the top in that photo. We’ll have to tackle those too at some point. I’ll be sure to blog about it when we do!

On top of the table, I just went with a simple Fall-themed vignette. Some pumpkins and faux Fall leaves (from Hobby Lobby!) and a runner and jug from my Lettered Cottage collection that will be launching soon!

In other news, we’ve decided to hit the road next week! We’re renting an RV and road tripping from here to Minnesota. It will be fun to see REAL Fall colors and to visit my side of the family, most of whom Steevenson has never met. He is INCREDIBLY excited and so are his parents…who couldn’t keep the trip a secret like they originally wanted to do. 😉

I look forward to sharing photos and stories from the road!

Layla

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Comments

  1. Chris Horne

    Did you ever consider painting the apron and legs? I just refinished my oak table top and leaves and the thought of doing the same to the apron and legs made me nauseous. So I painted them white and lightly distressed them and they look fantastic. I should have done it years ago.

    • Layla

      Hi Chris! I thought about it briefly, but I’ve always preferred the look of a totally wood table or a totally painted table. When I thought about my two options in terms of *this* particular table, I just didn’t feel like this table wanted to be painted. It’ll be a labor of love to restore it for sure! 🙂

      • Donna Braam

        Layla it turned out so beautiful!! I’m so thankful you did not paint it and do not plan on painting any of it! Looking forward to seeing it finished! Have a wonderful trip!

  2. Marsha Householder

    Soooo Beautiful!

    Have a wonderful trip. God Bless You. Praying for your safe passage.

  3. Terri

    How awesome to be the “keeper” of such a piece!! just gorgeous …. a labor of love for sure !!! Thank you for sharing …. and … how exciting to be headed out on a road trip !!! I love.. love … a good road trip !!! 🙂

  4. Karlene

    I have an antique dining table with leaves that I need to refinish, can you take a side view of the edge of your when you have any leaves in it? My leaves are so thin compared to 3 inch trim on sides of end pieces. I’m trying to decide if I should refinish the ends and leaves or just make a veneered too and add side trim to lay over existing table. Once again you are such an inspiration! We always leave 4 leaves in our table.

  8. Julia G

    The table looks great! Oh what memories it holds and the memories yet to be made!

    Enjoy your road trip!

  9. Megan Gramling

    This is just crazy! I am from Minnesota and just today I inherited that EXACT table!!! It was my great, great grandmothers!! Whst are the odds. Gave me the chills!! And…all the leaves!! Wild!