Thanks juddgirl2 - I will pay the $100 too since it is what I need for the table. And after paying all that I am for the table (not to mention the chairs...) I do not want to be short-sighted and cheap out on protecting them. :-) Thanks for clarifying - I appreciate it!

Just wanted to say thanks! I came across this post in doing research on dining room tables. I really liked the RH trestle table look, but was not too thrilled about the idea of it having no protection against the inevitable dining spills. So I went out on a limb based upon this post and some other reading, got the table, ordered Rubio monocoat online (for $100!), and went to work on my thousands-dollar table (I have BARELY done any furniture work, which was part of the appeal of Rubio monocoat -- one coat only!). So far so good, it's still drying/curing, but it looks gorgeous! I loved seeing the grain and saw marks appear as I applied the finish. It darkened more than I expected, but it looks absolutely gorgeous, better than the unfinished product. Your pictures helped seal the deal for me that it was possible, so thank you!

that is awesome tennisfan! Mine still looks great and is totally impervious 2 years later.

I agree the table finish is much nicer with the monocoat - my DH admitted that he did not even like the RH table before I had used the oil (glad he had kept that to himself!) - post a pic when it's all done so we can oggle :)

Thanks, laurainlincoln! It's very nice to hear that it's holding up for you after 2 years of use. I'll try to post a pic when it's all done. I'm actually going to do the chairs, too (also RH), but I used every last drop of my 1 liter monocoat on the table, so I had to order another can for the chairs, and also ordered the natural soap cleaner.

Funny about your DH, mine said almost the same thing last night when we went in the dining room to inspect my work -- he seemed so relieved!

Other good thing about monocoat that sold me on it, no VOCs. I had to do this finish in my house, so it was nice to know we weren't breathing bad fumes. My daughter said it smelled like green tea!

Juddgirl2,

Thank you so much for this post. My husband and I love the trestle salvaged wood table from RH, but were hesitant about coating a $3k table and it turning orange. Your pics along with the other postings listed here have shown it's possible. Any concerns with stains 3 yrs later? What RH chairs did you go with? We were hesitant with the cane backed cloth seat chairs, but are concerned the Madeleine all wood chairs might look too small with table. Did you end up staining the chairs?

Thanks again. We're excited the RH table is now an option.

I'll chime in - ours still looks fantastic and is wearing just as well. The Monocoat is so worth the price.

runningmom, the clear oil definitely didn't turn the wood orange - there are no orange undertones in the table. It's still a nice light brown with the finish coat, and I actually like it better than the unfinished wood. It looks richer.

It does protect the table - no stains or water/heat marks 3 years later, although I think it's due for a refresher coat of oil. I just wipe it down with a damp cloth once in awhile.

I bought my side chairs at Shabby Chic and I'm not familiar with the RH chairs. I had my slipcovered head and foot chairs made at Calico Corners.

I still love my dining room and am very glad I went with the RH table. One caveat - I had two tables delivered and the second tabletop was a bit too rough so I lightly sanded before applying the oil. The first table had a smoother finish and didn't need any prep other than cleaning with a damp cloth and drying. Each table is different.

For those who have used monocoat on your RH table (or other rustic unfinished tables) it would be really great to see some pictures here of your table after it's been in use for a while!

I have a quick question (it might sound silly). Did you use monocoat on the entire table including the legs or just the top part? Was 1L can enough for the entire table then?

thank u!
I have bought the same table and are awaiting the delivery

Not silly at all! Yes I applied to every surface as it deepens the color a bit and you'll want all the wood to look consistent and yes the 1L can was enough for the whole job :)

I agree - you want to oil both the base and the tabletop or you'll have two different colors/finishes. The only part I didn't oil was underneath the tabletop, except for 3-4 inches all around the bottom edges to protect against dirty fingers!

One liter was just enough for me to finish 2 tables (1 with leaves) and also a coffee table, so you should have enough.

rv1458 - I don't have any recent pictures but I'll try to post some soon. I think it looks the same as when I first oiled it though.

This post was edited by juddgirl2 on Sat, Sep 28, 13 at 1:06

Did you use the Monocoat Oil with the Part B which is the drying accelerator? When I bought the product I bought the one with the accelerator not even thinking about it. I like the idea of it drying/curing faster but am worried it will do something to the finish that I may not like.

novice - I did not use a drying accelerator. You could call the manufacturer and ask whether it might affect the finish, if there's no mention of it on the website.

I would also love to see pics. My dd has one of these tables and we now have a grandchild who will probably be staining it.

I would love to tell her about this process.

Thanks for the pics! have you had any trouble with food getting stuck in the seams?

I'm thinking about getting the similar boulangerie table (http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod370026&categoryId=cat1990024) and I read a bad review saying they had a lot of trouble getting food out from between the boards

I just saw these follow up posts! Below is a recent picture of my table after 3 years or so from the first Monocoat application. It looks a little lighter and a littler "dryer" now, and I just ordered a can of the Rubio Refresh to refresh the finish. Still no stains or water marks, and the finish has held up great.

smleary - I can see that crumbs might get stuck in the seams. It would be easy to scrape them out though.

I've also included pictures of the Monocoat oil application on an RH side table I just bought. I used the accelerator this time, which required a bit more control over timing during the application process. I don't think I'd order it again unless I really needed the faster curing time.

The pic shows the oil on only the bottom and top shelves, so you can see a difference between these and the unfinished middle shelf. 7 days later and it's still pretty dark but should lighten up a bit with time to match the coffee table I oiled a few years ago.

Dining table 3 years after Monocoat application:

RH Dutch Industrial side table, partially oiled:

I am thinking of ordering the Balustrade coffee table from RH, do you think I would have to use oil on it? Or is it mainly just for the dining room tables? If anyone has the Balustrade table, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Glad2be - I haven't seen the balustrade table. If it's unfinished, you should be able to use oil on it. Make sure you clean it first! I had to wipe down the side table several times before I thought it was clean enough for the oil.

As to whether you need to, I think that depends on how it will be used. We place drinks and food on our coffee table so I wouldn't want an unprotected surface, but your experience and use may be different. There are also other protective finishes you could use instead of oil, like Briwax, depending on your preference. For me, using wax on frequently used/cleaned tables leads to more upkeep than the oil has.

Thanks so much! I'll have to think about it! :)

Just picked up the trestle table at an outlet store, some minor wear. I need to sand it a bit but it looks like the color may come off as where it is scuffed it is a lighter color underneath. I am wanting to smooth the top a bit as it is a bit splintery. Juddgirl or anyone with experience, after sanding did you apply any sort of stain to match the original color?

Hi. I just bought a RH table and the lady at the store recommended monocoat. Could you repost the pictures of your table? I'd love to see the before and after.

I just bought the same table, it came darker than the one I saw in the store or the one on their website. I took my extension leaf to the store to compare it and sure enough it was darker. They offered to exchange it for me, it took about two and a half weeks to receive the new one only to realize it is just as dark. My house is under remodel and there was lots of dust so I decided to wipe it with a damp sponge, the sponge turned dark brown, I realized the stain is coming off the table and a beautiful golden honey color appeared under the darker gray finish that I really did not like, when it dried it looked so much closer to the color I wanted so I decided to wipe off the whole table and benches, it took some work but turned out so much nicer and cleaner. Some areas stayed a bit darker and some lighter but overall much better. I will wait for it to completely dry tonight and tomorrow will use Monocoat 2 Pure to seal it. After a big disappointment in the color I am happy again.

@nsavidge that is my concern too. I just bought the boulangerie table and when i wiped it, it removed what appears to be a colored powder finish. I also mindlessly rubbed one small spot more than the others and it took off all of the color. If I continue to wipe or sand it, it will remove it all and I'm not as fond of the natural yellow pine color as I am of the salvaged natural color it is right now. did you end up oiling your table?

I just purchased my dream RH salvaged wood trestle table in natural and going crazy searching for a way to protect it from rough toddlers. Please repost photos of table before and after the monocoat oil. I'd love to know how it's been holding up to the wear and tear of small children.

@angy323 I have been searching and trying different things. I have tried Monocoat, pure tung oil and poly and I am waiting for wax to arrive and will try that next. From what I understand Monocoat is a great protectant. My issue with it is the way the oil darkens the color of the wood. If that is not a concern for you, I would recommend getting it. It's easy to apply you just brush on and wipe off. If you aren't sure, they sell sample sizes and you can test the underside of your table. This blogger used Tung Oil which is similar in application and has some pics on her site: http://julieblanner.com/restoration-hardware-table-nightmare/

@heather starr do you know if the natural trestle table has a similar powder coat finish on it? I haven't used the table yet and it's still wrapped up. I was under the impression that it was unfinished pine. If I use monocoat, I'll have to remove all the finish (if there is any). I have the same concern as you about the monocoat oil darkening the color too much. Do you have any photos of everything you've tried? What is your analysis and recommendation so far between the monocoat, tung oil. and poly?

Hi @angy323 sorry for the late reply, I didn't get a notification that there was a comment.

I think the trestle table does have a similar powder coat. From what I've gathered online RH ran out of legitimate/aged reclaimed wood and starting using new wood. To give it the aged/weathered appearance they apply some type of powder coating.

To test and see if yours has a powder coating get a damp rag or paper towel and wipe the area on the underside of the table or if you don't mind removing some of the finish just wipe the entire table down--you will see the powder coating come off on the rag/paper towel. Wiping the table off does not remove all of the powder finish. I have wiped mine off several times and it has not removed it. However, if you scrub it really hard or sand it will remove most of the finish and you will see regular yellow pine underneath. If you wanted to remove all of the finish I think you would have to sand it, but then you would have a very yellow table that you would probably want to stain.

I have tried monocoat, tung, poly and now wax. Anything with oil in it will darken the table significantly because of the powder--when the powder gets wet it gets dark. You can see how the color will change by wiping the table off with a damp rag--it's pretty accurate for how dark the table will get with any of the oils.

Poly only slightly alters the color--what I didn't like about poly was the way it made the table feel. My table is very rustic and rough and the poly made it feel scratchy. I also don't like that poly scratches and would have to be sanded and reapplied. It's also harder to apply than oil or wax and you have to potential of getting brush lines when it dries as well as brush hairs stuck in the poly.

Wax--a clear wax with no oil will not change the color of the finish at all. HOWEVER, I'm not sure how much protection wax only provides. I tried Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax and one coat was not enough to keep water stains away. It was enough to keep ketchup from staining--although I wiped it off right away. I just put a second coat on and am waiting for it to dry to test water again. The other issue with this type of wax is that it gets in all the little holes and crevices of the wood and unless you are careful to rub it out, it will dry white.

If you want something completely non-toxic and easy to apply Ruelle's Wax is a winner. It does have oil so it does darken the table as much as any other oil will. I have also heard that Rustic Wood Wax from the FurnitureConnoisseur is a good natural wax with oil. However if you want something that you won't have to reapply often then monocoat or tung oil would be the way to go.

This is how much water or oil will darken the table

Top right is tung oil bottom right is Ruelles wax with oil

@heatherstarr thank you a thousand fold for all the great detailed info and pics! the oils stained your wood considerably, but it's beautiful!

I will try checking if there is a powder coat on my table - do you happen to know if it will have the same effect if there is no powder coat? I wonder when RH started using the new pine wood...

I've also ordered the monocoat oil as I don't think I want to deal with the maintenance of poly or wax.

Thank you for helping me make my decision! :)

I believe oil will slightly darken wood if it's stained or weathered. Not as dramatically as the powder finish does though. I put another coat of wax on and it's the same with the water marks. :( I'm not sure if another wax would be different.

Hope the monocoat works for you!

@HeatherStarr did you use the woodcraft 100% tung oil? I'm back to square one and thinking ill reorder my table. I wasn't happy with the color choices with the custom furniture place. If you were to use an oil based on your experience what would you choose?

She updated her post in july and is happy with the woodcraft 100% tung oil...http://julieblanner.com/restoration-hardware-table-nightmare/

No...I wanted to try a sample size and woodcraft didn't have one so I tried the pure tung oil from The Real Milk Paint Co.

What I've learned about oils is they will all darken the wood and they all have slightly different undertones. I tried the Rubio monocoat clear which is a linseed oil and has warm amber undertones and I believe can yellow over time. I tried the tung oil which had slight red undertone. I tried an oil and wax combo product that had a slight green undertone I think grapeseed oil was in that one. I ran out of space to test product on the underside of my table otherwise I would have tried hemp oil as well.

It looks like Julie had great results with her brand of tung oil so I'd probably give that a try.

The other thing worth mentioning about the boulangerie table is that it is splintery and crumbs do get in the crevices. I don't find these issues overly bothersome but someone else might.

Another resource for looking at oiled restoration hardware tables is the Studio McGee blog. She uses Rubio monocoat for all her clients RH tables.

@heatherstarr I ordered samples of the monocoat and woodcraft Tung Oil. I think I'm going to try them both on a salvaged natural sample from RH and see what I like better. The table went on even more sale since labor day and ends today so I will probably just pull the trigger. It's just the perfect size for my space (60in) and exactly what I envision. When I finally do the samples I will make sure to post pics. As for Studio McGee I love love and didn't know she uses it so I will go stalk her some more today.

These are my extensions next to the table bottom right is tung oil from real milk co it does seem to have lightened with time bottom left is ruelles oil (grapeseed) and wax suoer yellow--not a fan! I would probably go with the tung oil if I had it to do over the only thing that bothers me about tung is the odor it still smells when I open the extensions

I just wanted to add to this thread to show another Restoration Hardware table finished with Rubio Monocoat in Pure. It does darken it quite a bit over the original unfinished colour but I’d had to put a glass top on it for years to protect it from my kids messes so I wasn’t getting to enjoy the look of the wood. After months of contemplating and gaining the bravery to do it I finally applied the finish today. I have the Boulangerie Extension table in Salvaged Natural. Attached are before and after photos. The first photo is the before. You can definitely see it’s a bit darker and the variations in the wood grain stand out more. It was just finished about 3 hours ago so is still drying. Takes about 7 days to cure if you use the accelerator with it. It took an entire 350ml can of Rubio. My table is the 84”L x 38”W extending to 120” L version and the photos are with it extended to 120”. I hope this can help others considering using Rubio as I know its hard to find many photos of it applied on RH salvaged wood furniture.

I know Im late to the RH salvage wood table but I finally bought it after years of indecisiveness! Does anyone know if/how the powder coating affects the application of the oil?

Rubio monocoat oil, that is!

Oh my this is cracking me up. I still haven‘t applied an oil—I’ve just

been using a plastic tablecloth 🙈

Lol! This is hilarious! Girl, stains would look better than that plastic!

Your space is so pretty and natural! That plastic goes against your vibe!

Heather so funny! I’m on my second boulangerie table. Going to post pics when done!

Mixed Rubio clear pure natural and smoke. Not perfect but I’ll live with it.

@mrscollie wow that keeps it light! How do you like it now? I might just do a wax now

that I’ve waited so long that my kids are all grown up 🤣

@mrscollie why did you end up with a second table if you dont mind me asking? I just read through the other thread and was just getting ready to do rubio at your original ratio. Or I might sand it back to the pine and bleach it and then stain it. After 6 years Im over the plastic. 😂

The leg broke off! I was able to convince RH it faulty and they replaced it 😳 can’t believe you still have the plastic! I’d highly rec ordering a couple samples of the wood for the table to make sure you have the right ratio before you apply it!

Thank you! think i would just do pure. I dont mind the darker warmer tones now. amber interiors has so much inspo on mixing tones. 😍

As done heidi 😍

As

But still love the lighter too 😍