Kitchen Table and Chairs Makeover

Updating a dining set is a great way to bring a new look into our dining room or breakfast area without breaking the bank! 

I got this tired-looking dining set for free on Craiglist and a simple paint makeover turned into a beautiful, classic set that is the shining star in our breakfast room.

I'm so glad to check this project off my to-do list. First, my garage got a lot less crowded, and secondly, this week it's been cold, no need to work outside. :)

This is a photo-loaded post, it looks like there were many steps involved, but not really. 

This is not a tutorial, it's more like an account of everything I did, including the mistakes. Hopefully, you can avoid them.🤞🏽

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During my previous post, I showed you the findings.

A set of four chairs and a pedestal table.

The entire set was in overall good condition, it only needed a paint or stain makeover.

Let's take a look at how this makeover unfolded!

Tools & Materials Used:

• Sander
• Sandpaper 120-220-grid
• Kilz 2 Latex - Primer
• Paint - I used Behr - Off White in a semi-gloss finish
• 2-1/2" Paintbrush
• Stain

The first step I had to do was to remove that top layer of lacquer that the entire set had.  The lacquer is the clear product that is applied to furniture, the product that goes on top of paint or stain to protect it.

I don't know why I went ahead and used the stripping gel Citristrip on this set. The only reason I might have to give you is that I was working on another similar project where I've been using that product.

Well, that was a BIG MISTAKE! 

Using a stripping gel on these chairs and pedestal table was a messy over-kill. 

Why?

Because this dining set didn't have a thick layer of paint or varnish. A light sanding would've been more than enough to remove the light sheen and get the entire set ready for paint.

That's precisely one question you have to answer yourself when thinking about refinishing a piece...

Am I going for a painted treatment or a stained one?

If you're going for a painted treatment, there's no need to completely remove all the layers of paint or stain the piece has. Most of the time you only need to lightly sand the clear shiny topcoat, which will provide good adhesion for the new paint treatment.

If you're going for a new stain treatment, you have to go to the bare wood. You need to remove all the layers of paint and/or stain the piece possesses before applying the new stain.

OK,  back to this makeover. 

This is how the chairs looked after about 30 minutes of applying the Citristip. 

All that gooey product had to be removed! 😭

Removing the Citristrip from the tabletop was easy using a plastic scraper, but on the chairs and table base, it was a pain when dealing with so many spindles and crevices. 

In the previous post, I asked you, my dear readers, for help. Luckily Tracy, Donna Wilkes, and Beck from Beckwith's Treasures gave me invaluable information on how to remove just about anything from furniture pieces. I love Beck's tutorial on how to refinish a piece of furniture right HERE. It has lots of amazing information from someone who has done this kind of work not just one but many, many times!

I scraped off some of the stripping product, but then I had to wash off the remaining product with denatured alcohol and steel wool. -That's the product I had on hand. It worked fine, it was like giving the chairs and table a bath until all the sticky product and varnish was gone.

Afterward, I used the palm sander with fine grid sandpaper on the tabletop, the chairs and table base were given a light sanding by hand.

Then, it was time to apply the primer. I used Kilz 2 Latex.

Now, the reason for applying primer before painting the wooden surfaces is because the primer seals the wooden surfaces so that the paint doesn't soak into them. The primer also prevents bleed-through from knots and other natural blemishes and coloring in the bare wood.

You can see the chairs and table base in the picture below with one coat of primer.

One more coat of primer was needed.

Then, some more sanding. Well, after each application of primer and/or paint you have to sand the pieces to get rid of rough spots. I only sanded after the second application of primer -220 grid sandpaper.

Painting by hand with a brush takes time. This kind of chair is hard to paint, with so many rails, spindles, and legs. :/

Well, I had a stroke of luck. My brother-in-law happened to stop by and offered to lend me one of his spray paint guns.

Things got even better, Mr. RLC took charge of the project. I couldn't believe it! 

All for the fun of using the paint sprayer. :)

He gave the chairs and base of the table two coats of  Behr - Off White in a semi-gloss finish.
He also screws the rush seats back onto the chair frames not before dusting them very well. Oh, and he also installed the leg caps on all of the chairs and table.

The tabletop was the last piece of the puzzle. I had this quart of Rust-Oleum Wood Stain -Driftwood finish from when I painted the floor in the guest room. So, I tried it underneath the table.

The color was similar to the one on my inspiration table.

HighFashionHome

I applied the driftwood stain on the table using a foam brush.

Two coats were applied, waiting for the stain to dry in between coats, taking away excess with a rag. 

Once both coats were dry, it looked a bit too "white-ish" for my liking.

But after applying Annie Sloan's clear and dark wax, and buffing it, this is how it looks. The dark wax made a huge difference!

Here, Inside the breakfast room area.

Not bad at all! Using wax as the protective coat on the tabletop makes me a bit nervous, but my kids are not that little any longer.

Using the spray paint gun was such a time saver! Not even mentioning the awesome finish it gave the chairs and base. I know what's going to be the mister's Christmas present. ;)

This is how it looks with the kitchen in the background.

And the before and afters.

Thanks so much for all your help!



For more Home DIY ideas check these out:

Farmhouse Dining Table Makeover

Demilune Table Makeover

Coffee Table Makeover

*This post contains affiliate links for your convenience*

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