How This Curbshopped Parlour Table Got a Glow-Up Using a Furniture Transfer Over *RAW* Wood | YouTube Video
Hi, creative #sifamily, and welcome to another Trashy Treasures Tuesday! Lately I’ve been seeing these GORGEOUS furniture makeovers using transfers over RAW wood furniture. Not the traditional painted surface for application, just bare wood and a decorative furniture transfer on top.
And because this piece was FREE and heading for the trash (my sister Andrea spotted this vintage parlour table while walking her dog, went home to drop Willow off, and drove back to rescue this table for me…that’s LOVE!) I had the perfect excuse to experiment with the best way to apply transfers over raw wood.
In today’s tutorial, I’m also sharing –
- The Best Way To Use A Transfer on RAW Wood
- How To Get A Perfect Paint Line by NOT staying in the lines
- And more!
*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.
Here’s the old wood parlour table Andrea found curbside on bulk day.
And here’s what it looked like when I brought it down to my studio/workspace. Everything looks better when garbage bags aren’t surrounding it, right?! 😆
There were a few things that needed some TLC on this piece. One of the legs had popped out of the wood frame and needed repair. Also, the table top had been previously refinished but hadn’t held up well. I love that someone took the time to update this table, and that’s the beauty of real wood furniture – it can be restyled over and over again!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.
YOUTUBE TUTORIAL
Here’s the full step-by-step YouTube tutorial for you. Then, keep scrolling for all the products, supplies, colors, and step-by-step details! Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 59.3K, so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so already. You’re the BEST, and I appreciate your support! 🙂
SUPPLIES
Parlour Style Side Table – SALVAGED
White Lightning Cleaner
Auto Sponge
Dewalt Drill | Impact Driver
Bosch Orbital Sander
Sanding Sponge
1″ Small Flat Paint Brush
Floral Transfers For Furniture
Everglades SILK All-In-One Paint
Satin Clear Coat Protection
PREPPING THE PARLOUR TABLE
To start the prepping process, I glued up the leg that needed repair. This glue-up is an easy fix. I start by cleaning and sanding the dowel and surrounding area so all the old glue gets removed. Then, using some Titebond Wood Glue, I add some into the hole and onto the dowel and re-glued it back together.
This repair was a super tight fit, so I didn’t bother with clamps, but if you have a repair that feels it would benefit from clamping, I would definitely recommend it.
CLEAN
I had to go over this table multiple times to get it spotless and squeaky clean – which it actually did squeak! The table got wiped down with a heavy-duty furniture cleaner and a large automotive sponge. Then I let everything dry overnight.
SAND
I knew I wanted the raw wood look with a decor transfer on top, so I started by sanding the top down to bare wood. This is easy with a rough 60 grit sandpaper and my orbital sander. It eats through the existing finish quickly. Will the orbital sander leave swirl marks? The answer is sometimes YES – especially when I’m using such a rough sandpaper, and I’m not working with a hard wood.
But here’s how I fix the swirls –
- Strip finish with 60 grit sandpaper
- Smooth out the wood with 120 grit sandpaper
- Clean and finesse the wood with 220 grit sandpaper
- Hand sand with 220 grit or higher for a flawless wood finish
PAINTING
Once I had the entire tabletop stripped of the old finish and the rest of the table scuff-sanded, I removed the dust and started painting with this Everglades SILK All-in-One Paint. I used my 1-inch flat brush to apply the paint, and in the pic below (and this weekend’s upcoming video), you’ll notice I don’t worry about getting a little paint on the raw sanded wood top. In fact, I LIKE going over the lines a little because once I give this top its final sanding, it makes the cleanest/sharpest line, as you’ll see in a bit!
To paint the spindles super smooth (NO brush strokes), I used my Slap It On Paint Technique. Works like a charm and gives me a super smooth finish on anything with a circumference. I always keep my paintbrush on the drier side. When I reload, I add a little bit of paint, apply it to the spindle gently, and then so my slap it on paint technique. And remember, the first coat always looks a little scary.
How To Get A CRISP Edge Painting Outside the Lines!
After applying two coats of Everglades and letting it dry 100%, it was time to get my PERFECT crisp paint line on this tabletop. And the trick? I take my sander and 220-grit sandpaper, and lightly sand away the paint that had overlapped onto the tabletop. I find this method takes way less time than masking off with painter’s tape or trying to keep a steady hand while painting!
How To Use Transfers On RAW Wood
Applying furniture transfers directly onto raw wood is generally not recommended, although I’ve done it on the sides of drawers numerous times like here, here, and here and have never had a problem.
But when researching for a raw wood tabletop, I found out why you should seal first.
Furniture transfers adhere best to non-porous smooth surfaces. And depending on the wood species, raw wood can be very porous and absorb or interact with the adhesive, causing the transfer to lift, peel, or bubble. When using it on a high-traffic piece – like a tabletop, the best practice is to seal the raw wood before applying a transfer. One or two coats of a water-based polycrylic topcoat works amazing. I applied mine with a sponge but a brush or application pad works just as well.
Once the topcoat dried and the wood was sealed, I went ahead and started designing my table top with my floral transfer. This was an older transfer I’ve had and I don’t think it’s still in production, but you can find beautiful floral transfers here and here.
These transfers are easy and fun to use. I cut out the designs I want to apply to my project. As I’ve mentioned before, I usually never use an entire transfer, so my transfers usually last me a good few projects. Once I cut out the florals I want to use, I arrange them onto the tabletop and play around with the design until I like the look. Then I rub the design onto the project and, once adhered, pull up the mylar paper. I have a full tutorial on How To Rub On Transfers here.
For this parlour table, I also burnished the transfer to get rid of the little ghost line around the floral design. This is optional. This finishing pad is what I like to use because it’s rough enough to get rid of the ghosting yet gentle enough not to tear the transfer.
FINISHING TOUCHES
To protect this floral transfer and wood top, I used this Satin Clear Coat. To apply it, I used a sponge applicator. I like to pour the topcoat onto a paper plate, dip the flat side of the sponge into the topcoat, wipe the excess off on the side of the plate, and then run the sponge from the top of the table to the bottom of the table using long even strokes.
For the final detail, I assembled the table back together using the original screws and lining it up exactly with the existing screw holes.
PIN AND SHARE 🤗
THE BIG REVEAL…
Here’s the finished look! What do you think!?
And here’s a peek at the perfectly crisp paint line even though I painted OVER the line’s edge!
I love this floral transfer paired with the raw wood top! The colors pop and work beautifully with the Everglade green/yellow.
And just for fun, I prompted an AI to generate this transferred parlour table in a garden room setting. Here’s what it generated. What do you think?! I think it fits in BEAUTIFULLY! I want this garden room!
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. ARTSY CHICKS RULE
2. PETTICOAT JUNKTION
3. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER
4. SI (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)
Here’s another look at the before and after of this trash-bound table. I hope it’s inspired you to try some transfers on your raw wood pieces!
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
I’m so happy you joined the Trashy Treasures Crew today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’d love to hear what you think of this curb-shopped table with the RAW wood transfer look. And if you have a question or want to say hello, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below — you always brighten my day!
Happy creating, sweet friends! 💙
Denise x
MORE DIY INSPIRATION!
DECOR TRANSFERS | 10 FAQ’S ANSWERED
HOW TO LAYER FURNITURE TRANSFERS
DIXIE BELLE TRANSFERS FOR FURNITURE
DIY PUMPKIN DECOR WITH TRANSFERS
20 INSPIRING DECOR TRANSFERS IN ROOM SETTINGS
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. :) 
Love the fresh new look! 💚💐 I’ve been wanting to try a transfer over raw wood for some time now. Thank you for all the great tips. Pinned 📌 Have a beautiful weekend, my friend. xo 😘
Thanks, my friend!😘 Wishing you a great weekend as well! XOXO
Oh my I LOVE this. The green is perfect. Funny as I was just wondering how to go about the same. Thanks once again! P.S. I have a Willow, too! Aussie/German shepherd cross. 🙂
Thank you, Dawn! Your Willow sounds beautiful!😍 🐾 Andrea’s Willow is a rescue from Texas – part Chihuahua and part Italian Greyhound (they think). I LOVE watching her run. She’s so fast my eyes can’t even keep up with her! 😂
I did not expect this shade of green to look so great ! I DO love the transfer on bare-ish wood. Earthy/natural.
Great tips for working with vintage / esp abandoned furniture. Aren’t sisters great !! (Kids too – sometimes 🙂 )
This is perfect garden room – or window to a garden area table. I’d love the room in the AI staging !
Thanks for sharing all your talent ! Love it !!
I think everyone is surprised by this green!💚😆💚 I’m happy to experiment and try out new colors, and I hope that it gives you a visual and new ideas. I do LOVE the bare wood with florals as well. Makes me want to try it on a larger piece. Have a great week my friend. XOXO
Truly one of my recent faves: love, love, LOVE 💚🩵🩷‼️ I’m definitely gonna try this on an old piece in my backstock!!! Thanks, as always, Denise, for your fabulous inspirations OX!
I’m so happy you LOVE it Suzy! And if you give it a go, please tag me (if you’re on social) b/c I’d LOVE to see what you do! XOXO🤗
What a beauty! You are the stripping queen, lol. Love the transfer. Kathy
The stipping queen…😂 thanks for the chuckle, my friend! Have a great week! XOXO
Beautiful table, Denise! You have a creative eye for color and design. I never would have thought to pick that shade of green, yet it makes the florals and wood pop!
Aw, thank you Nicki! 🤗 And someone just emailed me saying the same thing about this green color!😆
Hi Denise. What an awesome find. It turned out beautifully. Would look amazing in a garden room or bedroom too!
Thank you Monique! It was an awesome find and I’m very lucky I have additional eyes on the road when it comes to curb finds. They are always my favorite pieces to work on!
You are truly inspiring!! Love your creativity. This piece reminds me of Mackenzie Childs.
Ohhhh I’m so happy you like it Jan, and what a huge compliment! Interesting that you brought up Mackenzie-Childs. Back in March, when Victoria passed, I started watching documentaries on her and the business. Have you ever seen the doc where her and her husband were living on the last remaining Ellis Island Ferry?… Creative souls are so interesting.
I have not- but I’ll check it out, I’m a huge fan!
💙
Would have loved a picture with nothing on the table.
Boo AI.
Hi Margie! I do have a pic with the table unstyled. I’ll be sure to include it in the YouTube video for you this weekend so you can see.😊 And I hear you re the AI. I realize not everyone is enthused for a TON of reasons, which would be a conversation in itself. I have very mixed feelings as well. I find it very scary AND fascinating at the same time.
I love it so much!! I always loved that bold green, but I’ve never tried it! Fantastic save, my friend! XOXO
Aw, thank you! I really love this green as well… but I think I love ALL greens!😂💚💚 So glad Andrea found this cutie for me. it was a fun makeover!
That is gorgeous, Denise! I love the transfer and the fun color!! xo
It is a fun color, right!?! Thanks so much Nancy and have a fabulous week! XOXO
So glad you rescued this table. It was too beautiful with character to let it go to the dump.
Thanks Jeanne!🤗 So glad Andrea found and rescued it as well; awesome find. Like I always say, they just don’t build them like this anymore! It would have been a shame if it went to our landfill.