I found this dining table at Logan Recycle Market a while ago for $15 (!) and, while the deep orange finish wasn’t quite right for our space, it had such beautiful bones that I knew it deserved a second chance.
With the film crew for Better Homes and Garden arriving in ONE week to shoot our home, I wanted our dining space to feel warm and lived-in without spending a fortune on something new. After plenty of sanding, a warm brown stain and a satin varnish, it looks like a completely different table and has become the perfect centrepiece for the room. I used my Bosch DIY tools for this and it worked so well!
What I used
- Timber dining table
- Bosch Universal Sander
- Wood stain
- Satin varnish
- Paint brush
- Clean cloths
How I refinished the table
Underneath the orange varnish, the table was in great condition, so the main goal was to strip it back, bring out the natural timber and give it a warmer finish that worked with the rest of the room.
- I sanded across the large tabletop as well as around the curved legs, edges and harder-to-reach areas. Having both options in the one tool made it so much easier to get an even finish across the whole table.
- Once the old varnish was removed and the natural timber was showing through, I gave everything a final sand until the surface felt smooth and even.
- I wiped the table down thoroughly to remove any remaining sanding dust, then applied a warm brown timber stain, working in the direction of the grain.
- Once the stain was completely dry, I finished the table with a satin varnish to protect the timber and give it a subtle sheen.
I’m so happy I gave this table another life instead of buying something new. The natural timber and warm brown finish completely transformed it, and it now feels right at home in our dining space. Proof that even in the middle of a hectic renovation, you don’t need to blow the budget to create something beautiful!
