Dining Room - Lessons Learned

Thanks to Jen of Sanctuary Arts at Home for hosting this monthly meme, Make Over Open House. Click here to check out other make over open house posts. This month, I'm showing sharing my dining room make over.



I took this picture to post on Craig's List. No takers. I ended up selling my table and chairs it at a yard sale for $25. There was 6 chairs. The table had two leaves which extended it to seat six nicely. The chairs were beginning to fall apart. The table top was Formica which took a lot of abuse.

Here is a before photo showing the whole room, which open up into the kitchen and living room.

Since we remodeled the kitchen (click here to see that post) I wanted to go with off white French Country ladder back chairs. After looking in every furniture store and online, I finally found the perfect set.

The price was right. Then, the saleslady asked if we wanted it delivered for $40.00. Well, we had to have it delivered. Then she asked us if we wanted the seats sprayed with a stain protection for $65.00. I though, wow, that’s a lot of money and for around $5.00. I could buy a can of Scotchguard and spray the upholstery myself. Did I want the top of the table protected from water marks, etc. for $135.00? Again, I though that I could buy a quart of polyurethane and put it on the table top myself.

The table was delivered and they set it up. I think it looks gorgeous. I took the chairs out on the porch. I protected the wooden backs and legs and sprayed the seats with Scotchguard. Perfect.

I purchased a quart of polyurethane and a brush. I was careful not to over stir the poly as to get air bubbles in it. I brushed the poly on in the direction of the wood . Oh, oh, this wasn’t going on even. It was puddling up. There were blotches and splotches, and brush marks and brush bristles in the poly.

The directions in the poly said to give it a light sanding and to apply another coat. I took a sandpaper sponge and went over it. It hardly did a thing, so I took our electric sander and sanded the top. Then gave it another coat of poly. It still looked awful. I ruined my brand new table.

I called my daughter on the phone and was crying to her about my plight. Should I sand it again and give it another coat? NO! she said. “Don’t touch it. Call an expert and get them to fix it.” I realized that was good advice.

Our pastor does wood refinishing as a hobby, and I called him. I told him what I did and he said not to sand it, but to use a paint/stain remover. He even gave me a gallon of the stuff he uses. The one thing that was in my favor was that everything except the top was painted a creamy off white color. I only had to deal with the top.

I worked all evening until past midnight getting it off. Even the original stain was off. Here it is now down to the bare wood. I already had the china cupboard and the top didn’t exactly match the cupboard. Now, that I need to restain it, I can get a better match to the cupboard. So, that part is lucky. However, I’m scared to death to touch it. I’ve have a vinyl tablecloth on it for months.

Moral of the story: If you are offered the option of having the store protect your furniture, go for it.