HERE’S HOW I HIGHLIGHTED THIS TRASH-BOUND TABLE AND BROUGHT ALL THESE FABULOUS DETAILS BACK TO LIFE! | YOUTUBE VIDEO
Hi beautiful, and thanks for joining me on another Furniture Fixer Uppers Thursday! Wait until you see what I found on bulk garbage day this past weekend – a GORGEOUS carved table in poor condition… but it was too good to leave there. So I loaded it up – brought it home – and I can’t wait to share how I brought this dingy table back to life by enhancing the details.
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Bonus, it’s Furniture Fixer Upper Day! On the fourth Thursday of every month, I join four super-talented friends, and we share our before-and-after furniture restyles. The link to their makeovers is included at the end of this post, and I hope you join me in visting them to see what they’ve created!
Here’s the carved table I found curbside. It was in ROUGH shape. Filthy. Scarred top dead center. Missing trim. But I couldn’t help myself because I loved the shape, size, and all the details. I loaded it into my FUV and headed home.
When I brought it into my studio and took a better look at it, ohhhh dear, this was going to be a doozie. A lot of the delicate trim was MIA or broken.
And this piece was filthy from top to bottom.
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Ornate Carved Table – SALVAGED
White Lightning Cleaner
Auto Sponge
Sanding Sponge
Titebond Wood Glue
Glue Applicator Syringe
Continuous Water Mister
Fiery Sky SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint
Shop Towels
Paint Brush
Satin Clear Coat
CURBSIDE TABLE MAKEOVER
Here’s how it all came together…
CLEANING, CLEANING, AND MORE CLEANING
I took the drawer out and found a Brother of the Good Shepherd Christmas ornament. It’s always fun to find personal belongings in drawers. Then grabbed my heavy-duty furniture cleaner and a dollar store brush and started scrubbing. This table was so filthy I ended up bringing it outside and hosing it down before giving it another scrub down. I must have spent over an hour and a half cleaning this table. Then I left it outside to dry. Luckily, the weather has been beautiful and hot, so within 48 hours, I was able to bring the table back into the house and it was 100% dry.
GLUE UP
This table is old, so the goal of the glue-up wasn’t to make it look new or perfect, but to piece back together and salvage what I could. For more delicate work or hard-to-reach places, I like using these Glue Applicator Syringes. They are very inexpensive and are a single-use item – no clean up.
I started by assessing the pieces I had to work with. As I mentioned some where missing, like the bottom rail on one side and some of the trim was broken so I got a little creative. I used one long piece of trim (which I’m guessing went on the bottom shelf – long side) and cut it down to size to match the trim on the other side of the bottom shelf. Then I used my glue syringe to glue up all the delicate pieces as best as I could. I’ll share more of this process in this weekend’s video tutorial.
Once I had everything in place, I secured it by wrapping green painter’s tape and clamps and let everything dry overnight.
HAND SCUFF SAND
The next morning I hand sanded this table with a 220 grit sanding pad. A light scuff sand was all that needed before painting with an all in one paint. To wipe off the dust, I wiped it down with a tack cloth. If you don’t have tack cloths, a slightly damp towel or lint-free cloth works well.
FIERY SKY PAINT
Now for the fun part! I grabbed Fiery Sky Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint so I wouldn’t have to prime or topcoat. This is a vibrant red – exactly what I was looking for!
I painted one coat on the top and then wiped back with a paper towel to reveal all the engraved design. At this stage, it reminded me of a horror show. I always try to remember there’s a scary phase and to trust the vision/process.
PAINTING HIGHLIGHTS
To get color on the rest of the table, I used a dry brush method to hit all the high spots. To highlight details, this paint technique works on any piece of furniture that has a raised design. The trick is to not load the paint brush with too much paint. And then very gently ‘kiss’ the bristles of the brush along the raised design, making sure to keep a soft touch the entire time. If you get too much paint in one area, like I did in the square area right above the leg I’m painting, you can spray it with a little water and wipe it back. It’s a VERY forgiving paint technique that can really bring a piece of furniture to life!
‘SOFT’ DISTRESSING WITH BRUSH
When I stepped back and looked at the piece as a whole, I wasn’t completely happy with the wash on the top and bottom shelf. It didn’t look quite distressed enough to blend in with the rest of the piece. To remove a little more paint for a vintage look, I took my water mister and a paint brush – sprayed and lightly rubbed some of the paint off. I repeated this until I was happy with the look. This technique will only work if your paint is freshly applied. If I was to wait overnight or a few days, the paint would have adhered and not rubbed off.
PROTECT WITH TOPCOAT
I used Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint, which doesn’t require a topcoat but I wanted more sheen on this table, so I applied two coats of this Satin Clear Coat. This topcoat can be sprayed or brushed, and it’s very easy to use. It has a milky color when first applied, so I know exactly where I’ve brushed and what areas I’ve missed if any.
THE BIG REVEAL…
Here’s the finished look, and I LOVE IT!!! I think this table was made to be red!
All this gorgeous detail was hiding under that dark finish.
Can you tell where the glue-up repair(s) were made? The right side of the trim is different than the left but with all this detail, I don’t think it’s that noticeable.
Here’s a view of how the distressed top turned out. The scar down the middle is still visible but all that beautiful detail is highlighted. It looks vintage with a ton of character and possibly a few good stories to tell!
This table is far from perfect, but it’s perfectly imperfect for me. I don’t really have room for it but I’m going to keep this one for myself. It’s so unique.
I can’t believe someone threw this away, and I was lucky enough to salvage this unique piece of furniture.
YOUTUBE TUTORIAL
Here’s the full step-by-step YouTube tutorial for you. Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 53.6K, so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so already. You’re the BEST, and I appreciate your support! 🙂
And now for some FURNITURE FIXER UPPER FUN!
You’re going to LOVE what these creative FFU ladies do! Below are the BEFORE photos. Visit the links to see the amazing AFTERS and learn how they did it! I’m heading over to take a peek as well!
1. MY REPURPOSED LIFE
2. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER
3. PETTICOAT JUNKTION
4. A RAY OF SUNLIGHT
5. SALVAGED INSPIRATIONS (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)
Here’s another look at this curbshopped table before and after. I hope it inspired you and gave you some ideas for your upcoming furniture painting projects.
Thanks so much for joining me for today’s makeover—I’m thrilled I picked this one up! Just curious, would you have put the brakes on for this one?
I’ve included some Related Posts below. Let me know what you think of this one, or feel free to ask any questions you may have. I always love hearing from you. It makes my day!!
Happy painting, my friends!
Denise x
RELATED POSTS:
DRY BRUSH SALVAGED TABLE MAKEOVER
TRASH TO TREASURE LIBRARY TABLE
REPURPOSED DESK INTO NIGHTSTANDS
ORANGE TO WALNUT STAIN IN ONE EASY STEP!
DIY RESTORATION HARDWARE FINISH
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Your doozie turned into a masterpiece. What a find! The red really brought out all those details. Beautiful, Denise. Pinned 📌 Thanks for sharing. 😘 Do
Awww, thanks my friend! I feel so lucky that I found this diamond in the rough… it was fun bringing out all it’s details. Thank for the PIN and have a fabulous weekend! Hugs
Ended with a soft Asian look to it. Marvelous! Always amazing to see your vision for a piece then bring it to fruition. Fabulous!
Thank you Jewels!🤗 Enjoy your weekend! XOXO
Oh my heavens, Denise. It couldn’t look more perfect now. What a vision you had. As I strolled through the pictures I voiced a LOT of “OH MY! OH DEAR! HOW’LL THIS EVER TURN OUT OK?” Then I saw the red and even though it took my breath away, I KNEW it was the right choice. Good on you!! It sure is a keeper, Denise, and I’m glad it found its forever home. Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much Catherine! As soon as I laid my eyes on it, I thought red. I really do wonder what it looked like originally and how old this piece is. Wishing you a fabulous weekend as well. 🙂
My favorite part of following your blog is how often my first thought is, “Nope, absolutely NOT!” but becomes, “Wow — that really WORKS!” by the end. Your first strokes of red paint stunned me as much as that multi-colored piece you recently posted against your sister’s advice, but everything came around successfully in the end. Guess I have to trust the process, too.
Did you pick up the chairs in that bulk-waste throwaway pile?
This is such a huge compliment Cyndel and I’m so happy I can still ‘surprise’ now and again.💙🤗 I was thinking about the chairs because they looked solid but no, I left them. I hope someone else grabbed them though. I hate seeing old furniture getting dumped into our landfills.😕
What a find! I really love the new look. Great job on saving this table!
Thanks my friend! Have a great weekend! XOXO
Great makeover! It looks like it should have always been that way.
Awww, thank you Ellen!😊 I’m thrilled I got to work on such a great piece.
I love this!
Thanks Tiffany!🤗
Hi Denise. GORGEOUS! You restored this piece and made it into a beautiful gem. Your vision, artistry, and skills are amazing. Well done!!!
I’m soooo glad you like it Monique! I’m so thankful I found such a unique piece and had the opportunity to work on it! Thanks and have a great weekend. XOXO
It looks great in red, but I could also imagine this table looking good in an emerald green!
Thanks Jacqueline and ohhhhhh emerald green!!!! I can see it!✅
You ARE the good shephard of this table. It has so much character – and I agree it probably has some stories to tell. A lucky find. You did a great job of patiently piecing her gently back together.
She is imperfectly perfect. Just like an old friend.
Ohhh red scares me too. I do agree tho that it does suit the character of this style And you did make it beautiful again. Love the details.
Thanks for the dry brushing instructions. I tend to forget about trying the water spray technique. I will be watching the video.
Glad it has a new home with you 🙂
Thanks my friend and you and my sister Andrea are same-same – red scares her!!! Hope you enjoy the video with the dry brushing and spray technique… sooo easy. 😉
I thought the same thing about the red, but it is a perfect choice! I loved how you show step by step techniques. This table and the beautiful curves and carving remind me of why we try to save these old pieces–great find! Thanks
Thanks so much Martha! If you’re interested in the paint technique ‘in action’ I’ll have the step-by-step video tutorial posted for you this weekend. 🙂
Definitely love this piece. Can certainly understand why you’d keep it for yourself. Can’t imagine that you’ll ever come across another like it. And the red? YES!
Thank you Jill and yes, the red really brought this table back to life! XOXO
The choice of red for this table was great. It has so much Asian influence. Your restoration of the trim too, a labor of love would give any furniture painter courage! Great find and great job.
Hi Fran and thank you! It was a labor of love but I will admit I wish my restoration skills were more developed. These curb-shopped pieces are fabulous opportunities to learn on!
OM Freaking G!! Am I aloud to say that in the comments?? This is spectacular!! It was always suppose to be red! You worked a miracle on this beauty! I told you you always find the best trash ha ha. XOXO
You’re allowed to say ANYTHING you like my friend!🤣🤣🤣 Thank YOU! And yes, I have eagle eyes when it comes to trash!🚮🦅😉
Wonderful, Denise! You did a fabulous job restoring that poor mistreated table. Even though my decor is pastels I’d buy it in a minute.
Sheila
Aw, thank you Sheila!💙 And yes, my decor doesn’t have any red in it either…lol… yet I’m determined to find a place for it!
WOW WOW WOW!! You did a fabulous job on bringing this piece back to life. You actually gave it the life it should have always had! It’s absolutely stunning! And to think you found it by the side of the road. What a fantastic score!
Super good score and thanks Susan! Someone had previously done work on this table but I would have LOVED to see what it looked like in it’s original condition. 🙂
Amazing makeover Denise! I agree, the red is perfect for this not-so-perfect table! I pick up a lot of junk, but I’m not sure I would have seen your vision, nor would I have had the patience you showed in this makeover!
It may be my favorite makeover you’ve done!
Pinned!
gail
OMGOSH, that means so much Gail, I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for the PIN, hugs. XOXO
Except for you pointing out the trim differences, I would have never noticed. There is so many more details to admire. Great table, great makeover!
Thanks for sharing. I’m always in awe of your vision.
Ya, I agree with you Ruth. This table has so much going on I don’t think anyone would notice unless they knew what they were looking for or it was pointed out. 🙂
Oh my goodness this is absolutely a beautiful table and I am so glad you found it and saved it from being destroyed. The carvings are amazing, and the red was the perfect color to bring out its beauty…Love it and one of my favorite pieces you have done.
oh WOW, that means alot Cathy, thank you!!! So glad you like it. I really enjoyed finding this piece and working on it… minus the cleaning part.🤣
Lovely! You did a great job Denise, anyone would be proud to display that table
Thanks so much Tammy!💙🤗
Beautiful, Denise! Those details are now amazing!
Hi Kelleeeeee!😃 yes, we can see them now! hehe Have a fabulous weekend. XOXO
Absolutely fabulous makeover! What serendipity to find this unique table and get a chance to make it beautiful again. I would keep it as well!
Aw, thank you Gail, I’m so happy you like it! I’m so happy I found it as well. XOXO
WOW, this table is STUNNING! I wasn’t 100 percent sold when I first saw your color choice, but YES, this table was made to be red! What a find and impressive transformation!
Aw, thanks so much Nicki! I’ll be honest, I always get a little nervous using red even though I’ve used it on a number of other makeovers. But yes, I agree, it really suits the style of this table.:) Enjoy your weekend my friend. XOXO
Oh my goodness, you lucked out finding that gorgeous table. I’m jealous! Red wouldn’t have been my choice but it looks terrific. Wow! So lucky.
Thanks so much Jeanne! What a find, right?!😃 Red is a BOLD choice for sure and I totally get it’s not for everyone. My sister likes to remind me red scares her so thank goodness she wasn’t around while I was painting.😆 Have a great weekend. XOXO