Last Updated on February 19, 2024 by Kimberly Crawford
I just realized I had not posted the before and afters for a couple of tables I re-did, recycled. I really liked the way they turned out and one of them sold within a week of being placed in the booth — so, someone else really liked it too!
The first one was a Pottery Barn table that had been in a child’s bedroom. It showed some heavy wear and tear. There was water damage, nicks and cuts in the legs and it just looked tired.
It was a barn red color, originally. Instead of being solid wood, it was made of a wood composite with a semi glossy finish. That makes it a bit harder to re-do. Paint doesn’t adhere as well to this type of material.
I spent a day sanding. I did it by hand because I was afraid the power sander would end up making groves in the wood composite. Then I primed it with Zinsser’s oil based primer and finished it with two coats of an antique white paint and then MinWax finishing wax.
I loved the way it turned out. I didn’t get a chance to take as many photos as I wanted because it sold so quickly but below is what I have:
The second project was an old, beat up wood plant stand. It wasn’t oak or pine but it was made of a lighter wood. I forgot to take a before photo (of course) so I found this one at Etsy by store owner funoldstuff ( and by the way, she has some great old stuff, check her out). It is very similar in style (without feet) except mine wasn’t oak and was a bit more beat up.
Click here to visit funoldstuff store
Again, I sanded it to smooth out the wood and get rid of any remaining finish, though there wasn’t much. I used my good old Zinsser’s oil based primer and then 2 coats of Hootenany Green (D3-2) interior latex paint by Dutch Boy. I went back and sanded off areas that would naturally be more worn and then used 2 coats of MinWax Finishing Paste.
I love the shock of green this piece will insert into a room. If you have a lot of neutral tones and hues in your living, family, bath or bedroom, adding an accent piece with a bold color really brings life to the whole room. Here is the finished product:
and in the booth:
Redone Plant Stand in Lime – $27.95
So, there you have it. A couple of more projects given new life. Hopefully, there will be lots more soon!
