architheque

I picked up this table on craigslist (From Sylvie at So Sylvie and Blossom Home, incidentally. It was nice to meet you!) and could barely contain myself with glee. I’m so glad to finally be finished with the refurbishing, not only so I can move on to other projects, but also because I’ve been dying to show everyone how awesome it turned out.

I’m not sure if there is any finish that bores me more than fake wood grain printed on plastic laminate. I couldn’t wait to get BIN primer on this and cover it up.

And oh how I adore a good gloss:

Dark brown is a surprisingly hard color of paint to find at a hardware store. I was hoping for a slightly darker, more bitter brown, something that really embodied the color “espresso,” but this was the best I could do in the circumstances.

I also regret not having a “before” picture of the assembled table, so it could be seen in all it’s muddy blahness.

The legs were a medium-dark finish that luckily sanded off readily. But then, there aren’t many finishes that a random orbital sander won’t take off readily. In addition to being pleased as punch about the way the table turned out, I’m still butterflies-in-the-stomach-in-love with the DeWalt sander that I bought for this and the dresser project.

Because the legs were real wood, and in great shape, I wanted to leave them as unadorned as possible. Two coats of clear satin polycrylic ought to do it. I anticipated the contrast between the pale wood and the dark tabletop being spot-on perfect.

And it was.

Oh gorgeous little table, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.

It expands with a middle panel and will seat six, I’m guessing. I still owe the top a coat of thick glossy lacquer to protect the finish. But that can wait. I’m going to admire it a while first.