THIS VICTORIAN EASTLAKE TABLE NEARLY ENDED UP IN OUR LANDFILL | YOUTUBE VIDEO COMING THIS WEEKEND!
This is a perfect read if you have an old wooden table that needs a complete refresh. And the best part is that wood can be refinished over and over again!
Hello, beautiful #sifamily, and welcome to another Trashy Treasures Tuesday! I always hope for a good ‘trash’ find on our TTT and now that the weather is warm and many of us are Spring cleaning, I found the perfect piece! This vintage walnut Eastlake table has the most beautiful carvings and details. Let’s salvaged this piece and bring it back to life with a little love and TLC.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. There are affiliate links in this post to other companies/products I use and love as well. You will never be charged extra when you purchase through these affiliate links. If you purchase from my links – A BIG thank you for supporting me and the #siblog! To see my full disclaimer, click here.
It’s also the second Tuesday of the month, and this means it’s Trashy Treasures Tuesday! I’m looking forward to seeing what our TTT crew, Christy at Confessions Of A Serial DIY’er, Nancy at Artsy Chicks Rule, and Kathy at Petticoat Junktion, have created. I hope you join me on today’s tour as well! I’ve included their before-and-after links down below.
Do you see what I see? This table was buried under a pile of scrap wood, and I’m so thrilled I spotted it while I was driving to Andrea’s house. Look at the gorgeous detail on the base. Definitely worth putting on the brakes and taking a better look.
When I brought it down to my studio and took a close look, there were issues. The base needed some wood glue and joint repair. There were a few loose details that needed attention. And the top looked old and blotchy from years of use…
But the biggest issue by far was this tables top. The boards were so warped they had come apart. But I’m an optimist… well, most of time. 😉 I was hopeful it could be saved. Do you remember this severely warped table rescue? I was prepared to put in the work to try to straighten these boards out as well.
THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.
SUPPLY LIST
Eastlake Table – SALVAGED
Mild Dish Soap | Spray Bottle | Auto Sponge
Wood Glue
Staple gun or small nails
Furniture Mallet/Hammer
Dewalt Cordless Drill + Impact Driver
Walnut Gel Stain
Gator Hide Topcoat
Spray Gun 1.7mm Tip (14% off as of writing!)
Eastlake Furniture
Because this table looked so old and ornate, I googled it before I started working on this piece. I learned Eastlake furniture was made popular and named after the British architect Charles Eastlake. It’s from the Victorian era in the late 19th century. This Victorian table is old!
Step 1: DISASSEMBLE AND CLEAN
Once I got the table into my studio, I disassembled it using my impact driver. A regular screwdriver would work too, but the extra torque helps when dealing with screws that likely haven’t been touched in decades. Breaking it down into three pieces—the top, skirt, and base—made it much easier to clean all the intricate details and hard-to-reach areas. I even found what looked like a wad of 100-year-old gum underneath!
After removing the top, I gave the entire piece a thorough cleaning. While I usually use my TSP substitute to prep furniture for stripping or painting, it can dull an existing finish. Since I wanted to preserve the original finish, I opted for a gentler solution: a few drops of mild dish soap mixed with water. It was enough to remove years of dirt and grime without being too harsh on the wood.
STEP 2: REPAIRS – GLUE-UP
To repair and stabilize this table base, I used Titebond Wood Glue, a mallet, and a few screws. Luckily, nothing was damaged/broken, and all the joints were in perfect condition; they were just loose after years of use. Nothing a little wood glue and clamps can’t repair.
The apron-skirt needed a glue-up as well. The one corner wasn’t holding and was missing a support piece.
To fix the skirt, I took these steps –
- Squared up the corner to fit a piece of wood
- Cut a corner piece from scrap wood
- Sanded off the old glue
- Reglued the corner + corner support in place
- Used a mallet and a screw to hold in place
- Clamped and let it all dry
Step 3: FIXING THE WARPED TOP
To fix the warped boards took a little time. I used the same technique as I did on this severely warped table top a few months back. I figured before I use new wood boards to replace the entire top, I’d try sandwiching the original wood boards between two damp towels and using weights and time to slowly reverse the warp. The key to bending wood is dampness, weight, and time. The timing is important, so I keep checking on it. I didn’t want it to start bending in the opposite direction. And unfortunately, I can’t give you a time frame because every wood variety will be different. I had these boards ‘straightening’ for 48 hours but depending on the wood and humidity levels, it could take more or less time.
Once I had the boards as straight as I could get them, it was time for a glue-up. I wish I had a biscuit joiner to help with glue-up. This might be a tool I’d like to get for myself. If any of you have one, I’d love to hear your experience(s) using it.
STEP 4: WALNUT GEL STAIN
I wanted to keep this table as original as possible and bring it back to its former Victorian beauty, so I used this Walnut Gel Stain. It’s oil-based and very easy to use. Just make sure you have good ventilation. I gave the table a light sanding with a 220 sanding sponge to scuff up the existing finish. I removed the dust with a fibre cloth. Then it’s as simple as wipe-on, wipe-off. I like applying the gel stain in manageable sections using an inexpensive chip brush. The brush bristles let me get into all the carvings and small details of this piece. Then I wipe it back with a lint-free cloth.
STEP 5: REASSEMBLE THE TABLE
Once the top and bottom were dry, I reassembled the table back together using the original hardware. I think this gives a more authentic feel rather than using new screws. This also helped secure the boards on the top as well.
STEP 6: SPRAY TOPCOAT
For protection, I sprayed this table with three coats of Gator Hide. This topcoat is not only water-resistant but also water-repellent. It’s also water-based, which is perfectly fine to use over an oil-based stain, so long as the stain has completely dried and cured. A good test for this is to touch and sniff. If it’s still tacky or smells like stain, it’s not dry enough to topcoat.
I think this table would make a lovely side table for tea, coffee, books, or an awesome-looking plant stand. Whatever it’s used for, I’m hoping the extra protection will give this table many more years of use.
PIN AND SHARE 🤗
THE BIG REVEAL
Here’s how this trash-bound Victorian Eastlake table all turned out! What do you think?!
The wood grain looks lovely and really came back to life with the walnut stain.
And do you remember what the top looked like with the large warp and gap? Here’s the after, sharing the exact angle as the before pic I shared above. Much better. Not 100%, but a HUGE improvement. And again, I took this pic at an exact eye level to the warp so you have the comparison, but no one will be looking at this table at this angle… well, maybe a toddler, lol.
Looking at the top as a whole looks much better.
And I have to show you all these gorgeous details on the base of this table…
Gorgeous. They just don’t make them like this anymore!
YOUTUBE TUTORIAL
I’ll have the full step-by-step YouTube video tutorial published for you this weekend. Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 58.5K, so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t yet. You’re the BEST, and I appreciate your support! 🙂
And now for some Trashy Treasures FUN!
Below are the TTT ladies’ BEFORE photos. Visit the links below to see the amazing AFTERS and learn how they did it! I’m heading over to take a peek as well! x
1. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER
2. ARTSY CHICKS RULE
3. PETTICOAT JUNKTION
4. SI (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)
Here’s another look at the before-and-after of this Eastlake Victorian table makeover. I hope it inspires you and gives you ideas for old furniture makeover.
My Thoughts On This Salvaged Eastlake Table Makeover
I feel extremely lucky that I spotted such an old find under all that scrap wood. And I’m always honored when I get to work on such old pieces. Did the top turn out as perfectly as I would have liked? Unfortunately, not. There is still some warping and gaps between the original boards. Yet when I look at this table, I see years of stories and plenty of history and character. I’m not sure I would have felt the same if I had swapped the top for some new wood. What are your thoughts? Do you think I should have replaced the top or kept everything original?
Thanks so much for joining today’s Trashy Treasures Tuesday makeover. Feel free to drop me a hello and let me know what you think of this salvaged table makeover. I always love hearing from you!
Happy painting and thrifting, my friends!
Denise x
RELATED POSTS:
HOW TO FIX WARPED WOOD
OLD TRASHED TABLE RESCUE
HOW TO GEL STAIN LIGHT OVER DARK
HOW TO GEL STAIN OVER STAINED WOOD
HOW TO APPLY GEL STAIN 101
PIN AND SHARE! 🤗
Hello again... I'm so happy you dropped by! Let's keep in touch! Follow me on social media or sign up for a dose of furniture painting inspiration and diy tutorials. :) 
Leave a Reply