I’ve been quite busy doing some home improvement work over the past week.  As you may have noticed in my past posts, our dining room and kitchen were painted in shades of terracotta.  Needless to day, I wanted some big changes around the house. So I’ve had both areas painted white and it has made such a big difference! Nothing relaxes me more than a white space. (I will post the pics once everything’s done.)

But what I really want to show you now is our upcycled dining table. Originally a conference table from the office, I snagged it for 500 pesos (about $11!) at an office auction last year. Although its formica tabletop was already damaged, I bought it mainly for its solid steel legs.  Last week, Hubby bought old hard wood floor planks  salvaged from a demolished house. We then had our carpenter make a table top out of the planks.

I only wanted a simple, stained finish for the table. So, to prepare the wood for staining, the carpenter sanded  away  the original finish of the floor planks using an electric sander. If you don’t have a sander,  you can use sand paper.

For stain color, I chose a tint closest to the color of the untreated wood. But if you prefer a darker color for your project, that’s good, too. You can also use either a brush or a rag to apply stain. Make sure though that you use use rubber or plastic gloves to keep your hands from getting stained.

I applied two coats of stain on my table to make sure the wood absorbs the reddish tint. But if you want a lighter stain, just apply one coat. Allow the stain to penetrate the wood for about 5-10 minutes before wiping it down with a rag.

Once dry, you can then apply a flat or glossy sanding sealer to protect the wood.  (I personally prefer a matte finish.) And that’s it!

The stain may look blotchy or uneven in some areas.  That’s due to the uneven application of the stain.  But I don’t really mind.  I kinda like my rustic, imperfect table.

Now, the table looks like it truly belongs in our home.

Food for Thought:

Trust yourself.  Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.

-Golda Meir