Once again, I’m giving a little TLC to an inherited piece of furniture in this end table makeover. My beloved Pop Pop Pancho owned this table and recently passed away. I needed a new end table and my mom offered me this one.
It’s a cute little table, but the finish was in bad shape. The top surface was very scratched and scuffed, with some water rings showing up. The color of the finish was very red.
Since this piece has sentimental value, I didn’t want to just paint over it. My goal was to re-stain the table in a dark brown color. I know a lot of people would be fixated on color correcting the red finish, but I figured if I made it dark enough, the red would be more subtle.
My husband disassembled and sanded the piece down to the raw wood with 80 grit sandpaper on the flat surfaces and 120 grit sandpaper on the edges. I then cleaned off the dust and got to work staining!
The first stain I tried was Varathane Penetrating Wood Stain in Espresso. But immediately, I didn’t like my results. The wood was eating up the stain and it still looked super light, despite being a super dark stain color.
I decided I needed to try a different route: gel stain. I knew that gel stain is used to give a richer color. I had never used it before, so I did some research. If the piece doesn’t have a thick finish, you can often use gel over an existing stain. So to keep things even, I gave the entire piece a coat of the Espresso stain (the other option would’ve been to sand off the test patch of stain).
Then I went out and picked up Varathane Total Control Gel Stain in the color Kona. Right away, I knew this was the right path. Using a foam brush, I applied one coat of the stain and then wiped off the excess with a cloth. I let dry for an hour per the instructions on the can. Then I applied a second coat, wiping the excess with the cloth.
The resulting color was a rich, true brown. My instinct that a dark stain would make this look less red turned out to be spot on.
The final step was to apply a protective varnish to the piece. I used Minwax Polycrylic Crystal Clear Topcoat in a gloss finish. I ended up just doing one coat, but you can do two for extra protection.
The final product was exactly what I pictured for this project. The dark brown gel stain really disguises the red tone of this wood. It looks so shiny, sleek, and ready for a second life! I finished it off with a gold knob that I had in my stash.
I styled the finished piece in a corner of my living room. I placed a hand-dyed placemat on top for extra protection. I am so pleased with the results! The best part of this piece is the fact that I now have a reminder of my Pop Pop.
If you enjoyed this project, you’ll love what I did to give my Grandmom’s vanity a makeover. You can also catch some video of this end table makeover by following me on Instagram at @Lauren_Rose_Home.
Design, thrifting, and entertaining are my passion, and I share that passion with you through this blog. I also love being in the kitchen and crafting cocktails. I love Jesus and occasionally, I talk about him too. He has been so powerful in my life, and I love to bring him glory with my hobbies.
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