The best things in life are free, right? That’s how I got this table set…for FREE. Thank you Craigslist, and lady who is selling the table, but got so sick of it being in her garage that she gives it away. I’m feeling a farmhouse table makeover coming on. hee hee hee.
I’ve been there done that, so I feel for her. This set also wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my mother, who took her truck to go pick it up for a pregnant momma(ME).
That is how long I had this table set… for over a year, just like this desk. I knew that painting those spindles on those chairs would take F.O.R.E.V.E.R. and there was no way I was going to do it unless I had a paint sprayer.
TOOLS OVER JEWELS
Enter in my new toy… {dramatic music begins to play and commercial-man voice reads…}
“The HomeRight Finish Max Sprayer allows you to apply a professional-looking finish to your furniture and cabinets. The indoor rated air turbine powers the spraying of thin materials like varnishes and stains. The tight spray pattern of the Finish Max HVLP is ideal for finishing smaller surfaces like deck spindles, furniture and lattice.”
What’s HVLP you say? Just High-Volume-Low-Pressure, which translates to lots of goodness without much effort. As a gift to self, no one can deny that a paint sprayer is a good thing for someone who paints furniture, right? I read all the reviews and heard nothing but good stuff about how easy it is to clean and easy to use. Sold.
DIY TIME
My lovely farmhouse table is solid oak and maple. Also, the chairs a sturdy maple too. As an extra bonus it even came with an extra leaf for a larger family or guests. Nice.
But boy, oh boy, did that ugly 1980’s orangey stain have to go!
I enlisted the help of my wonderful husband, who is my behind-the-scenes awesome dude. The table prep was for me, but he hand-sanded those chairs all by himself….whew. I had a new babe to care for and was so thankful for his help.
Now the set is ready to get its beauty treatment.
Yes, the top is not getting sprayed, because I wanted to do a different treatment to it…more on that in a bit. So using my favorite antique white paint by Glidden, I got crazy with it.
Can I just say I was giggling with delight at how EASY this thing was to use?!! Did I mention that there is NO need for a compressor? Just plug it in and go to town.
Seriously, after one coat I am admittedly WOW. I LOVE IT!!
THE REVEAL
Lookin’ good and so much better than orange, don’t you think? Once the entire set received a second coat of paint and two coats of satin polycrylic, I painted the top a nice deep charcoal color I don’t know the color!) and added 4 coats of poly to it using a micro foam roller.
Can you believe this is the same set from the beginning?
So refreshing and clean and perfect for the kitchen or dining room. Not only are the chairs a breeze to paint, but my hands are saying thank you.
I am so very pleased with the outcome, and also delighted that this set did not last long in my shop.
In fact, I enjoyed spraying so much that I used it to make our exterior shutters using my tutorial – will share more on those later. First coat in 15 minutes! {happy dance}
AND…I even did this highchair, complete with video, our own dining room set, and it was endlessly useful in our patio makeover. I LOVE THIS THING!
Now onto spray some more stuff…
Pin it if you love this farmhouse table makeover too!
To get these DIY tips & tricks in your inbox, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. PLUS, you will get your FREE Furniture Buying Checklist and special discount to my shop. Until next time!
More projects like my farmhouse table makeover:
Hi! Thanks for hosting such a great party! I cant wait to so what people contribute with:)
Thank you for participating and love your project. 😉
The set looks amazing!!! And to think you got it for free…wow!! I love the charcoal top with the white base, so fresh looking and practical too!
Thank you, Lisa. 🙂 I was so happy with the outcome and that it’s no longer in my stash! Would have kept it if it seated 8. 😉
Larissa this is so awesome! And thanks for the tip on the sprayer – I am buying one as soon as we are back from vaca – I have a couple sets of chairs to paint and I am NOT doing it with a brush. Shudder. I’ve painted too many chairs that way as it is! how big an air compressor does this take?
Thank you, Jill. You just reminded me to add to the post that NO COMPRESSOR needed!! Anyone can plug this in and get started. You will LOVE it. 🙂
gotta love a beautiful paint job! thanks for sharing:)
Thanks, Lynn! Yes, much better painted. 🙂
I love this table, it updated it and turned out beautifully!
I love the fresh look you gave it. I’m so jazzed by the way it turned out. Way to go!!! 😉
Your table and chairs are exquisite!! Would you share what color and brand of paint you used on the top?
Thank you, Sue! The dark color was a seconds paint I found at Home Depot (seems I’m blessed with colors from there!), so I’m sorry I don’t have the exact color, but dark charcoal gray will work. 😉
I love white furniture in all forms and shapes, your set is just amazing!!! Now I’m dreaming of making something similar for lovely brunches outside 🙂 Thanks for sharing, you did such a great job!
Larissa…Let’s High Five, Girl!!!! You did a smokin’ job on your dining set and spraying is the only way to go with that style of chair. Nicely done!
Wahoo! Great minds…I tell ya. Thank you, Holly!
Larissa, I have the same dining room set as this and painted mine too. I like the graphite color you used on the top of yours. I hear ya re: the HomeRight paint sprayer – I love mine and will be using it next week to paint several dining chairs. I gave my Windsor chairs to my in-laws – kicking myself after seeing yours.
Very nice re-do! What brand and type of white paint did you use?
Hi Adriane…thank you for the compliment! I used Glidden Antique White. Hope this helps!
What was the mixture of paint plus (other ingredient to dilute the paint for the sprayer) formula did you used?
I just thinned the paint per manufacturer instructions. It’s pretty simple.
Love it! I’m hoping to do this to my table since I have the exact same set. I was also hoping to do our kitchen cupboards. I think this may be a good investment.
Did you use the sprayer to do the polycrylic as well?
Hi Greta! It’s absolutely a good investment if have a whole set to do. Yes, I did the polycrylic as well. So much easier! 🙂
Yes, I was wondering about spraying the poly too?
Just the same as paint. Follow the poly thinning instructions on the can and have at it. 😀
Would that sprayer work well for cabinet doors? And how was clean up?
Hi Dawn, yes, the sprayer would absolutley work wonderful for cabinet doors. It has very minimal overspray, and would create a smooth finish. Just practice on scrap first. Clean up couldn’t be easier and is why I choose this sprayer. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your project. I have an identical set of 6 chairs and the rectangle table, also in natural wood. I lived in the woods when I got is 20 years ago and now I live near the ocean. I am thinking of a driftwood table top and striped cushions on chairs. Maybe painting the legs and chair backs a blue that looks nautical. Any suggestions or comments?
That sounds like a wonderful idea. Are you looking for color suggestions or just method? I’d love to help!
Hi what a great job you did to your table set. I have a table set similar to yours . But I’m missing a chair. So I’m to decide whether i wanna do this project . You gave me the ideal to paint it the same as yours . Looks great . It’s not a easy job I redid my whole kitchen and counter tops . I’m real pleased with the
Out come of this.
That’s wonderful to hear, Robin! Thank you. 🙂
i am so happy I found your post. I have a table/ chIr set that needs paint. And I was feeling overwhelmed to get started. But when you started explaining the sprayer… You sold me. I like that it a plug in … No compressor. The reviews also raved about its ease to use. I’m going to order it. Thanks for inspiring me to take the next step !! Do you have any tips about it? Please share what you have learned Thx
Wahoo, Mary!! I really think you will love it. There are several YouTube videos you can watch, as well as at HomeRight’s website that offer great tips for getting started. It’s not too hard to figure out, but I would say cleanup is very important for a long lasting product. Let me know what you think! 🙂
Love this! Got the same table from a friend who does forclosure clean up. It was in rough shape and 1 of the 4 chairs was broken. Took a while to clean up and sand but considering it was free thought I would attempt my first DIY project. I’ve painted the top with 1 coat of a dark smokey Gray paint from Valspar and I’m trying to decide if I should do another coat? The paint says 1 coat and it looks pretty good. Have the polycrylic to put on when finished. What do you recommend?
Thank you, Jenny! As to whether or not you should do a second coat, that would depend on the amount of use you think it would get. For me, I always second coat at least and then add a topcoat for a high traffic surface. Just be sure to let them fully cure between coats. I hope this helps! 🙂
You mentioned you used Glidden paint… was it satin finish, or a semi gloss?
It was a flat paint – the color was Behr antique white, but mixed in Glidden flat base. 😉
Wow! I love that table and chairs. I’ve gotta get a new sprayer… I gave mine away to someone who needed it before I even tried it… now I want it back LOL
Say whaaaat?? You most certainly do! I know you’ll make use of it, Susan.
Hi! Great post! Did you use oil or latex paint? Thank you!
Thank you! Since the EPA has pretty much wiped out any oil based paint, I used a acrylic latex – a basic flat Glidden for the white, and a eggshell for the top. Hope this helps!
Amazing transformation Larissa! Isn’t everything better with a Finish Max?
pinning!
Absolutely! The sky’s the limit with that tool. 🙂
i love your farm house kitchen table. I have the exact one in my kitchen that I want to paint. My first thought was a solid color than I saw yours. You mention you put four coats of poli crylic on the table top. Sherwin Williams and the back of the can says its for wood. Doesn’t say anything about paint. Can you clarify before I do this??
Thanks so much!!! Also love your high chair.
Yay for you!! You can put a poly on most any surface, but I do use Minwax satin polycrylic, water-based formula. Hope that helps and thank you for the love!
I used the poli crylic finish and it turned my white paint yellow. Any suggestions??
Oh no, yes, sometimes a golden color will happen with certain polys. I found that spraying it can lessen that effect since you can control the amount. My only suggestion would be to lightly sand it back and see if that takes away some of the color. Let me know!
Hi Larissa,
I have an identical table and I’d like to do this with it. It’s my first project and I’m wondering about the finish. The paint I purchased is “Beauti-Tone – Designer Series, Cabinet & Furniture” (Canadian brand), when I asked the paint rep about the poly, because I didn’t see any on the shelf, she said that this paint has it in it. When I asked if I should still apply it over where a table is such a high traffic item, she gave a sales type warning of not being able to guarantee how it’d react with the paint. Do you think extra poly would be necessary and do you think it’d affect the paint at all? Thanks!
Hi Marlene! Paint is usually a good go-to for standard wear, so I would be hesitant to paint and not protect it. I am not familiar with that line, so my only suggestion is to either do what the paint rep says or find another brand that you can use a poly with. Sorry I’m not much help! 🙂
Hi, I’ve been painting furniture for about 4 years now. I’m in the process of switching from chalk paint to straight latex paint from Sherwin Williams. Should I prime my pieces first or is a light sanding enough? Thank You.
Good for you. 🙂 It depends on the piece. In most cases, sanding is enough, but in terms of veneers or going over a mahogany or cherry stain requires a primer for best adhesion and color. Hope that helps!
Did you sand the top of the table also ? or just the chairs and base of table. what number sand paper did you use?
Yes, I sanded the top starting with a 150 grit paper, and working up to 220. 😉
Love your enthusiasm for painting the farmhouse table and chairs . Been around long enough to know that your children will be longing for that earthy real wood you painted over. There’s no right or wrong to decor
Oh certainly, but that table wasn’t a quallity set that refinishing would do much justice. I try to sell pieces that are in need of some TLC and leave wood as-is, especially in my own home. Problem is, wood doesn’t sell. 🙁
I totally agree…plain wood is not selling. And as far as our children wanting real wood finishes, there is plenty out there & always will be if that’s what they choose. I love taking an old worn piece of outdated maple or oak from the 70’s & 80’s and revive them. Your work is beautiful!
Beautiful! Quick question…do you have to thin out the paint first?
And have you every used chalk paint with the sprayer?
Thanks!
Thanks! I typically do to prevent clogging and wear on my sprayer. I have not used chalk paint but some of my blogger friends have with success. I believe they have pins on Pinterest.
Have you ever had any problems with bugs getting stuck in your drying paint?! Help!!
I have at times, but not really. I think it depends on your area, but also you could use a Spray Shelter to help with that as well. Sorry you are being bugged! 🙂
Did you turn the chairs over to paint underneath?
Yes, I did. 🙂
I so need this sprayer !!! I diffenly will be purchasing one very soon!!!
You will not be disappointed. It rocks!
Hi!!!
Beautiful outcome! You achieved such a gorgeous paint finish with your sprayer..no brush marks, drips, etc… but for the final finish Can you please tell us how you applied the coast of poly so there would still be no brush marks? Thanks so much!
Kim
Hi Kim! Thanks so much, I used a micro foam roller for paint and poly on the table top.
Nice Table! I have the same sprayer and have not had luck getting it to spray without splotches. I’m sure it was the paint I was using..BM Advance. I got a gallon off the oops shelf for $10. I thought it would be a good practice paint. I think it is too thick for this sprayer. I tried thinning but I had to thin beyond BM’s thinning recommendations. I wasn’t sure how much that changes the makeup of the paint. Did you have to thin your paint? Did you spray the polycrylic on the chairs too? Did you thin that? Have you ever tried spraying General Finishes High Performance top coat? Thanks!
Thanks! It sounds like you may need to adjust your flow. Did you try using it at different settings? I almost always have to thin my paint. Yes, I did spray the poly and I didn’t thin that though. I have not tried the GF top coat. Feel free to email with more questions. 🙂