So I’m pretty sure I have an obsession with tables…side tables for the bedroom, end tables for the living room, round, square, rectangle…everything! Well, I’m sure it doesn’t help my obsession that we have an abundance of beautiful tables we have acquired from all kinds of sources. They beckon to me from across Vicki’s garage…Ha! Just kidding…but I have been really inspired by our tables lately, not to mention that they also fit very nicely in my car so I can transport them to my little workshop in my basement!
This cute little number was nabbed from an auction by Vicki and like most of our pieces that are found needed some fixing before it could be restyled. It wasn’t much, but just like any other older piece, it had acquired some scratches and dents to the top. Since my vision for this piece was to be very clean, I didn’t want to embrace the imperfections, but instead filled them to make the top smooth.
For your convenience in locating products we have used, this article contains affiliate links. All products are items we use ourselves and have formed our own opinions on. For our full disclosure go to our “Disclosures” page.
I grabbed some of our favorite wood filler and used a putty knife to scrape it over the dents. Just allow to dry before you begin to sand it smooth using a fine grit sanding block. I then sanded the entire piece to rough up the shiny finish before painting.
One of my favorite things about this particular table is the Queen Anne style of legs. They have a fine curvature that lends an elegant appeal to any piece. That is why the plan for this piece was to do a very clean, elegant restyle.
After the repairs were done, I grabbed our Annie Sloan French Linen paint can and went to work. I applied two coats of the French Linen to the entire piece except the drawer.
Tip: When you have curvy pieces like this don’t forget to do the underside of the aprons! At some angles you can look down and see the old color as a curve goes upward.
Next I wanted to apply a lighter paint to the drawer but didn’t want it to be such a stark contrast of bright white…so…I mixed paint! It was really scary at first because I didn’t want to waste this spendy paint, but it ended up working out well and I was glad I tried it! I took about 3 teaspoons of the French Linen and about 6 teaspoons of the Old White. (This was more paint than I needed for one drawer but I was able to use it again for another project so it wasn’t wasted.) Again, two coats were applied to the drawer.
The hardware was in really great shape for this drawer, but the gold just was not going to work for the overall look! We had an antique pewter kit Vicki had purchased awhile ago which includes one small can of a silver paint and one small can of a dark antiqued pewter top coat you paint on and then wipe off. This dims the bright metallic silver color and gets in the cracks to give it more of an antiqued look.
The table was then finished with two coats of wax and buffed to a very nice sheen after the wax was dry!
Once the table was put back together the finished product looked amazing! I love all the curves to the legs and aprons but the slight contrast in the drawer and body gives it an extra edge instead of being monotone.
This sweet little table will give a simple elegance to someone’s home, and can be paired with virtually any color or style.
We hope you loved this little restyle as much as we did! Take a peek at some other French style renovations around our site. We reupholstered a small wooden chair, painted a larger parlor table, and made a boring lamp new again!
Shop This look: Similar White Pitcher 1, 2, 3/Similar Rustic Box/ Similar Monogram Letter
I’d constantly want to be update on new blog posts on this website, saved
to bookmarks!
Thank you so much! You could also sign up for our email list at the very bottom of our website in the left hand corner. It sends you the latest blog post right to your email!
I have a table exactly like this. Thanks for the inspiration and tips!
I have a set of tables exactly like this! Two end tables and a coffee table. I think they need to be painted!
Yes! Paint does wonders 🙂 Good luck!
I love your table, but the french linen looks so light in the picture. It looks more like Paris Grey. Does it come out darker in person?
Hi Kim, That might be the light in the picture that makes it look lighter. It is a bit darker in person, but not super dark. It is a nice light medium color I would say. The drawer is a custom mix color.