12.11.2012

GUEST POST: Classic Vintage Table

Today, Eva Stephen is here with a fun guest post. She loves crafting, home styling, decorating, reading and experimenting with new and different ideas with home decoration. She is a fan of both modern and vintage style and has some great information to share below about turning an old dining table into a classic vintage table.
DIY Tutorial: Turn an Old Dining Table into a Classic Vintage Table

Whether you’re fan of frugal living or you just don’t like wasting anything that can be reused, recycled or redecorated, here’s a great idea for you: turn your old dining table into a classic vintage piece of furniture. 

Not only will you save money on a table that you’d otherwise replace with a new dining table, you’ll also have a very creative exercise in styling your dining room, and you’ll get that antique-looking table that many people admire and want.

  


How to remodel without anyone’s help

“Distressing” your table or turning it into a vintage style piece is fairly easy to do. You can look at some videos on the Internet to get a better feel of the whole process, but even if you don’t, this tutorial should explain everything you need to know. 

There are three ways to make your dining table look decades old in an elegant, trendy way: 

1) Using brush-on paint 
2) Using spray paint 
3) Using some old-fashioned ornamentation 

The good thing about all of these methods is that they are budget friendly. The tools you are going to be using (paint, brush, cloth, sand paper and sander, etc.) are not too expensive; certainly much less than a new table. 

Transform your table using paint

Spray painting the table is probably the easiest way to turn it vintage. Here’s how: 

Step 1: If your old table had some paint and varnish on it previously, you'll need to remove it using a paint stripper gel or some other product you are familiar with. The gel needs a few hours to penetrate the layers you'll be stripping off using a stripping knife.

Step 2: Sand off all imperfections from the dining table surface, until it is completely smooth. 

Step 3: Clean the table with damp cloth.  

Step 4: Spray paint your table using quick, short strokes.  

Step 5: Use sand paper to sand off some paint, so that the wood shows through, giving it that vintage look. This is the simplest, most basic way to redecorate your table.



Another way to do it is using water based acrylic paint. You will go through steps 1, 2 and 3 just as in the case with spray paint, but instead of spray, you’ll be using a brush-on paint that you will apply with light brush strokes. 

A few good tricks for a better vintage look

There are ways to make your dining table look more artful and rustic using two or more colours of paint. For example, your first coat of paint can be brown, the next can be green and finally you can add some white spray paint, letting all colours show through in a seemingly careless, random manner. 

Another way to play with paint is to spray paint the table white, then just sprinkle some brown or any other colour on top of it with a brush, as if the paint is peeling off. 

Which ever method you choose, make sure you always sand off the final coat of paint, so that the other layers show through.

Vintage embellishments for an authentic antique look

If you don’t want to paint your dining table, you can just use some antique looking details to give an impression of a rustic piece. You can cover the table with embroidered table cloth, put a romantic, heavily-ornamented candleholder at the side of the table, some old photos and a nice glass bottle filled with dried flowers in the center.


As you can see, redecorating doesn't have to be hard work, it can turn out to be fun, it saves you money and helps you get a vintage table right out of a popular home decoration magazine.

Thank you Eva for your wonderful information.
I hope this has inspired you to create something fun and unique!


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2 comments:

  1. I've read about "antiquing" furniture before, but this is the first time I've heard of using multiple colours of paint. That's a really good idea. It just makes sense. This how-to is great! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Emma, Thank you very much for your nice comment and liking my ideas. :)

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