Re-stained and Painted White: Oak Pedestal Table And Chairs
I am still on my quest to get enough of my garage cleared out for my husband to park in the garage before the frost hits! And I may just make it! 🙂
I finished one of my more ambitious projects to date. Although I have finished two tables (here and here), and even eight chairs for one of those tables (here and here), I didn’t tackle them all at once. This time, however, I found a bargain I couldn’t resist, in the shape of an oak pedestal table (with leaf!) and six pressed-back chairs. They’ve been sitting in my garage for about a month now. 
Yes, I already had started sanding when I remembered to take a picture! But not too much. 
And I am still in love with the walnut top/creamy bottom combination. Sorry. I promise my next project will be something different than that (coming soon!). 
I used Minwax Dark Walnut stain again. It is gorgeous on oak! 
I know I put at least two coats of stain on. It could have been three! Then I gave it three coats of polyurethane.
Next I tackled the base of the table. I used a brush and gave it a coat of Zinser 1-2-3 primer. I am liking this brand better than Kilz, I think. Then I chose NOT to use Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint for this project. It would have taken a LOT of spray paint. Instead, I invested in a gallon of Sherwin Williams Creamy and brushed and sprayed it on.
Here’s what the leaf looked like with the apron painted. You can’t see any of the pretty pressed pattern, and you know what that means…. 
Time to do some glazing! 
I chose not to use stain as my glazing medium this time, but instead I used diluted burnt umber craft paint. The color is a great match, but more importantly, I had more control than I do with stain. (You can wipe stain off to a certain extent, but not as easily as paint.) I brushed the diluted paint on liberally, waited a few minutes, and then wiped with a damp rag to remove the excess. In the picture above, the left leg has been glazed, while the right leg has not. 
The difference really shows in the chairs. Above, the left chair is un-glazed, compared to the right glazed chair. I had to use the brush to get all those little crevices saturated with color, and then wipe off the flat surfaces. Certainly glazing of any kind does darken the overall color of the chair, but not nearly as much as stain would have–in fact I don’t think I would have been able to get the contrast I wanted with stain in this instance. 
Doesn’t the table apron look better now?
Lastly I distressed the chairs and the table base. I didn’t really do anything to the pressed pattern; it stood out well with just the glazing. But all the spindles and corners and curves got worked over. It just seems more practical to me to distress a piece–and that’s probably because I am the mother of six! Things are going to get distressed whether I like it or not…so it’s just less traumatic if it looks like it’s on purpose!
Four chairs with no leaf…
A shot of some great legs….
And six chairs with the leaf inserted. 
I was so tempted to bring it in my house to see how it would look. But my 13-year-old and 11-year-old house slaves groaned at the prospect, and I caved to unpopular demand!
I have been searching and searching and searching the classifieds for a table of my own to do this with. I have seen a couple that would be perfect (for example, a HUGE Pottery Barn table that was sold for seventy-five dollars), but I have been too late each time!
So…if anyone comes across a likely prospect in the Salt Lake area, let me know! I need something that can easily accomodate eight people (about 78″), with leaves that can handle up to twelve (96″ or more). I dream of chunky turned legs and a plank-style top. Cross your fingers for me!
Cassity Kmetzsch started Remodelaholic after graduating from Utah State University with a degree in Interior Design. Remodelaholic is the place to share her love for knocking out walls, and building everything back up again to not only add function but beauty to her home. Together with her husband Justin, they have remodeled 6 homes and are working on a seventh. She is a mother of four amazing girls. Making a house a home is her favorite hobby.
Beautiful! I have almost the exact table that I am in the process of staining and painting too! How were you able to stain the top with all the wood going in different directions without it going all streaky on you??
This project looks sooooo good! I have a really similar table, and I’m struggling with the sanding and staining of he top. I keep ending up with lines. Any tips on how you refinished the top would be super appreciated!
Hi Katie,
Thanks for the comment! This project is from a guest from a few years ago, so I don’t think she’s monitoring the comments here any longer, but you can click over to her blog (linked toward the top of the post) and ask her more questions there if you’d like. We do have a more recent guest post about refinishing furniture that might be helpful as well: https://www.remodelaholic.com/step-by-step-refinish-wood-furniture/
Good luck! We’d love to see pictures when you’re done! <3
Hi! How did you sand it with all the wood grain going in so much different directions?! I have almost the same table and it’s driving me nuts sanding it!
Do you sand the chairs before the paint as well? I am looking to do this project with this exact set. The chairs look a little daunting. We typically use a paint sprayer for the white/cream part.
Hi. Your table looks beautiful! I am redoing a table exactly like this. Did you sand the chairs or the base at all before you painted them? We are staining the top so its getting sanded. The table is a gift for my sister who is fighting breast cancer. Thank you
I have this exact same table and chairs and have thought often about doing the same thing to it, it turned out so very beautiful, a new project just got added to the list, my husband will be so thrilled, lol.
Hello!
I found the same table and chairs. Quick question.. how did you get the details to pop on the apron part? I painted mine all white base and apron but I want the detail on the table to stand out more.
Thanks.
I have the Exact table that is this to funny but you did a beautiful job I’m gonna do the same thing I couldn’t figure out how to put the color is the stains together I love the colors what white did you use an off white or