As every good mother would do, there I am driving my kids to their practice when what do I see sitting lonely on the curb with snow spitting all over it? {{gasp}} Instantly I do a U-turn and pull in the drive to rescue it. However, there’s one problem. A large, old, shaggy senior dog is barking softly at me. This drop-leaf dining table is coming home with me and I have a plan.

Honestly, I know this dog and it’s harmless, but I didn’t want to upset him. So, I parked in such a way that he wouldn’t see me and grab the table and I’m gone in less than two minutes. He’s happy, I’m happy, and my kids are like…I need to get to practice! haha. We’re always early, so it’s not a problem. But…can you blame me? You can see what I with these drop-leaf tables HERE.

If you’ve followed me for long, you know that FREE doesn’t mean no work. It typically means oodles of work. However, when I get home, I’m happy to see that the hardware is all present and functional, and it’s sturdy. The top does have wear with dents, dings, and cup rings. First, it’s time to break out my sander!

Then, after spending two hours sanding, I’m left with a clean finish and hopefully a surface I can work with. I’ll fine tune my work later. You see, the top is a ply material, but not like you use for random builds, but made of better quality materials.

DISASSEMBLY

Then, in order to make sure all is refinished in the edges and such, so I flip it upside down and take it apart. Not only do I tighten up all the screws, but I also sand down the edges as well. Next, now that my prep work is complete, I’m able to move onto finishing. In order to do that I use a weathered reactive stain. This kind of stain is a natural stain that allows it to age using the tannins in the wood.

After the stain cures, I flip the leaves over and use a milk paint called Parchment to dress it up from underneath. I paint the leaves and also the skirt and legs.

Oh, and in case you didn’t know…I have a cat. ahem. Shall I leave them? Time will tell. I love Lily, but she’s such a diva.

Last, as soon as the two layers of paint cures, I reattach the leaves and add a three layers of a matte poly topcoat with a micro foam roller.

THE REVEAL

As you can imagine, the bit of elbow grease I poured into this curbside drop-leaf dining table really pays off with obvious effects. Would you guess it’s the same table?

First, the weathered wood stain really turned this into another era because that orange was awful…right? Second, the white underneath removes the ominous feeling it had. Now it looks less heavy.

Likewise, the best part of these kinds of tables is that it can be used as an entry console, as a library table behind your sofa, or in your small space dining ready to pop out to entertain.

How would you use it in your home? For me, I’d love to have it in an entry so I could whip it out when friends and family come over.

With that, I’m excited to offer this in my online shop along with many other custom, antique, and vintage finds. Stop by to see!

SHARE

In addition to leaving some comment love below, let’s encourage and inspire others to pull up their DIY sleeves. Pin and share to make it even more fun.

Likewise, don’t miss another post and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to see what becomes of these thrift store frames. PLUS, you will get your FREE Furniture Buying Checklist and special discount to my shop. Come see these frames now OVER HERE.

Also, more table makeovers like this drop-leaf dining table: