The previous year, in November, I started a project that I'd put on hold due to the holidays, divorce, and time. My dining room set had gotten pretty worn. We'd bought it when we moved to the house in 2000, and after 16 years the color was faded, and it had stains and scratches. I considered buying a new dining room set, but when I saw the prices I almost fell out of my (dining) chair. For the price we'd paid for an entire dining room set (table, 6 chairs and china cabinet) all I could get was a table. I didn't want to spend a ton of money, so I considered buying something second hand that I could fix up. Then I thought, duh, I already have something used. What can I do to fix this up?
I decided to do what everyone else does when getting ready to do a diy project: I went on YouTube. I found Cass from the YouTube channel Clutterbug, who'd done her entire kitchen using gel stain. It appealed to me because I wouldn't need a lot of special tools, and with gel stain I wouldn't have to do a lot of sanding. Looking at several more videos convinced me it was something I could do. If it worked, great. If it didn't, oh well. I was gonna get rid of it anyway.
The original color was a light maple with a Southwestern detail around the edges. The chairs had brown and black striped cushions which was the first thing I'd changed to a tan and white fabric I found on clearance at Walmart. It's hard to see in pictures but the finish on the table was dull and faded. I know that painting furniture white using chalk paint is popular, but it wasn't what I wanted. I like a classic elegant look with a little bit of a rustic touch, not the chippy white shabby chic that seems to be in everyone's house these days. It isn't a bad look, it just isn't my style. I decided instead to go with General Finishes gel stain in java, the same color Cass had used in her kitchen.
I lightly sanded the top of the table, put on the first coat, and thought, "Oh no, I ruined the table!" It looked pretty awful; so bad I didn't take a picture. It was streaky and didn't cover the original color very well. I was more heartbroken than I thought I'd be. I was really looking forward to keeping my dining room set, and it looked like it wasn't going to be.
Thankfully I went on General Finishes' YouTube channel to see if there was any way to fix my "botched" stain job. What I found out is that the first coat always looks pretty bad. As I looked at more videos and websites, I realized I was freaking out unnecessarily and I just needed to keep going. Boy, am I glad I did! The results were better than I dreamed!
The color is dark, rich, and elegant. The cushions pop against the espresso tone. It was just perfect.
I finished staining the table and chairs just before Thanksgiving. Not wanting to have the mess in my house during the holidays, I decided to leave the china cabinet alone. I picked up the project in January after putting away all the Christmas decor.
This was after a couple of coats of stain. It gives you an idea how one coat would look. The color as seen here is pretty but it didn't have the richness I was looking for. To get the espresso color took 4 coats of gel stain, and afterwards I added 3 coats of poly to protect the stain and give it that lovely sheen.
I stained the outside only, and left the inside the original maple color. I also replaced the handles. The original knobs were tiny and black, which wasn't going to show against the java. I found some really cute knobs in an antique gold on Amazon that were about $1.00 each and were absolute perfection.
Doing this project myself gave me a sense of accomplishment. The best part: the entire project (including all the materials to reupholster the chairs, gel stain, paint brushes, etc) cost a total of $250! I loved it so much I gel stained the top of my coffee table and two nightstands! Keeping myself busy also helped my mental state, which was much needed. The year was off to a good start.
Of course, life isn't perfect and my year of rest wasn't going to be either. But that's another blog post. Stay tuned!
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