Banquet Table Makeover
Sometimes assuming the "simple" job can turn into a time consuming and beautiful reward....
This gorgeous banquet table has been in a family home for years and recently found a new home in the daughters house. After much deliberation on how to refinish it, we decided that keeping it simple and traditional would be the best fit for the other pieces she has collected over the years. I enjoy taking a piece that is loved and has history with someone and bring it back to life, however I am used to being able to hide imperfections or even using them to my benefit when antiquing a piece. That's not the case with this project, I needed to spend a great deal of my time with this piece in the prep stage.
It was a dusty mess for several days due to the amount of sanding it took to prep the table correctly. The piece was in great shape and just needed a little love to bring it back to life. There was old paint still on the table in places and some of the original finish in other spots, so since she had decided to repaint the table this gorgeous cream I didn't have to strip the piece down to the bear wood. But, however, it did need a lot of sanding!! The detailed legs needed a great amount of attention and were sanded by hand. For the top and leafs I was able to sand with my orbital sander, which I love and is a time saver! I started with 120 grit sandpaper (for those who aren't familiar with sandpaper the smaller the grit number the courser the sandpaper is) and went over the entire piece a couple of times. My goal here was to remove enough of the old paint and finish to make a smooth surface. Once this goal was accomplished I used a finishing paper with a grit of 220, this allowed me to get a very smooth surface which allowed the paint to have a smooth finish. Again I know I said it earlier but on a project like this the sanding and prep work is the most important. The paint will enhance any flaws that you don't get rid of during this process. With that in mind it is also hard to get rid of every little thing on an old piece like this. There are going to be a few small dings or character marks as I like to call them that will be there no matter what. I feel those memories gave this piece its character. With the sanding done, finally, it is time to really clean the piece good for painting. Yea! I ran the vacuum over the table to get most of the dust off and then I love using a tack cloth to get the remaining dust particles that are on the piece.
Paint time!! For this gorgeous table we decided to match it with a gorgeous cream color!! The paint I used is Valspars Cabinet Enamel, it is perfect for this project. It is very durable and is made to stand up to the high use a table gets. Even though a quart is a little more expensive then normal paint, it goes a long way. One quart did 6 leafs and the table. I took my time on this paint job. Not that I rush on my others but like I said earlier I couldn't hide any flaws with the antiquing processes I normally do. I put 3-4 light coats of paint on the table while being very careful to watch for drips and globs on the edges and sides. Through other projects, I found it easier to achieve this with several light coats instead of a couple of thick coats. It takes a little more time but you will be much happier with the finished product. Even though it isn't needed with this paint I did put a couple light coats of Minwax's Spar Urethan on the top of the table and leafs. It was more for looks and feel then for extra protection. I wanted the table top to be very smooth and just the paint alone wasn't quiet the feel I was going for. It also gave it a really nice shine. Let your newly finished master piece dry for a few days and then it's time to start enjoying it!!
Thank you for spending time with me and until next time....
Addie