Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
mrboosmom

Farmhouse Table Needs Help

MrBoosMom
9 years ago

Hi everyone,

New here but a long time lurker to Gardenweb. I have a farmhouse table bought from Macy's 15 years ago that needed refinishing on the top. I have no idea what type of wood this is. It kinda looks like my red oak flooring but I know it's not oak (says made in Taiwan underneath) although the table is really heavy.

I stripped the top which is what needed refinishing and I do not plan on stripping the rest of the table except maybe the apron. It will be just too much work. I have 6 chairs that match the table. The picture is after stripping the top. I haven't done the apron yet.

Since I think it would be pretty impossible to match the stain and finish on the rest of the table and have it look decent, I was thinking of staining the top of the table ebony or almost black. What do you think? Would I be making a mistake? I've seen many tables that are black on the bottom and brown on the top but not vice versa. I plan on replacing the seat covers.
I also plan on buying a buffet table that would go with the table or maybe having one made.

Comments (11)

  • patricianat
    9 years ago

    Looks like an oak door.

  • Olychick
    9 years ago

    I agree that I wouldn't darken it. It is a wonderful table top and the grain wouldn't look as pretty if it were dark. I don't think the color looks all that "off", even with the finish gone, so hopefully finding a complementary or matching stain wouldn't be too difficult.

  • chibimimi
    9 years ago

    Did you try wiping the top with lacquer thinner or mineral spirits? How close in color did the wet wood come to the already-finished sections? If they are very close, you should be able to use just a clear finish in the appropriate gloss.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    9 years ago

    I agree with Chibimimi. I would just go with a clear finish, but then, I always prefer that to a stained finish.

  • MrBoosMom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the feedback, I'm rethinking this. I did use paint thinner to clean the table once I finished stripping it. It appears the original stain was applied to the top coat when it was finished.
    The wood grain is so tight that it makes me doubt that it is oak. Usually with oak when you sand it you can lift the grain a little. When I sand this is just gets slicker no matter what grit I used. I removed some of the finish on the bottom of one chair rail and I have some different stains. I will try one or two of these and see how it absorbs the stain.
    I agree the wood looked nice once it was stripped but it is much lighter than the rest of the table and the chairs. I'm really concerned that it will be blotchy if I try and stain it or that it won't be close enough in color. I'll give it a try on the bottom rail and see what happens.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Once you find the right stain, put minwax Pre-Stain on it before you stain it. That will keep it from being blotchy when you stain it. and the nice thing about rustic is that mars actually enhance the look!

  • TxMarti
    9 years ago

    I agree, a clear topcoat may be all you need. Did you strip or sand under the edges of the top? If so, you can put a little clear topcoat there and see if it matches the apron.

  • madeyna
    9 years ago

    There are some very good restore products you can use on the legs and chairs to bring back the finish then you will just need to try to color match the top as closely as possible. It doens,t need to be a perfect match though because the top is horizontal it will always catch the light a little different and there are no visible matching edges where the top touches the legs.Just having the legs shine and finish looking the same as the top will go along way to making it look right.

    This post was edited by madeyna on Tue, Jun 3, 14 at 17:10

  • Circus Peanut
    9 years ago

    If you do restain, I'd recommend a gel stain from General Finishes - much easier to control the intensity of the color and/or correct any mistakes along the way. It's a nicer quality stain than the minwax brand. Looks like candlelight or any darker maple color will match the legs as they look now.

  • MrBoosMom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I haven't been able to test the stain just yet, maybe a little later today. I went to the General Finishes web site to see who carried their brand here in Atlanta. I'm considering myself lucky because the store close to me is a wood craft store and they give classes on all types of woodworking. I think I will take a chair with me and see what they think and quite possibly they might be able to match the stain for me.

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I will keep this post updated.

Sponsored
Suzan Meredith Design
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars19 Reviews
Ashburn's Innovative Interior Designers 2x Best of Houzz Winner