This is the what the table looked like before I refinished it. My dad garbage picked it for us and it’s in great condition but I’m not a fan of bright colors or things with marketing on them, especially for kids. In trying to create a cohesive look and make sure the space doesn’t feel too cluttered, it’s really important that we limit the colors as much as possible. This was just too busy.
My original inspiration for how to finish the table was this photo from the blog, Yellow Brick Home. I wanted to sand off the characters on top as well as the colors on the sides and legs.
Photo Via Yellow Brick Home
I set about sanding the existing finish to remove the characters and colors are realized that the table was not solid wood as I had thought but MDF. I had to scratch my plan for refinishing the top in a natural color. I thought about bailing on the project and trying to get an actual solid wood table but decided to go ahead and finish the table, opting instead to paint it using leftover latex paint that we had purchased for the beams in our house but ended up not using it because it seemed too brown/light. I was concerned about the durability of the paint and considered purchasing a finishing top coat to protect the paint but didn’t really want to spend anymore on this table. I decided to just take my chances with a couple of coats of latex and see how it would hold up.
It’s been about a year now and it’s actually held up pretty well. There are a few scratches but nothing too noticeable and I don’t think the extra expense would have been worth it.
