Dining do-overs... ready to strip!

            Had a busy weekend, but managed to get the dining room table and chairs stripped and the chair seats recovered. Here is one chair after I stripped it and one before. I want a lighter finish on the set. It still had the original seats on it.

            I put more padding on the seats and recovered them. They are just sitting on the bases currently. Once I get the chairs polyurethaned I will attache them permanently. 

 

        Here is a shot of the table all stripped and ready to be refinished. I had to strip the top of the table 6 times!! It has some water spots in the old finish I wasn't sure was going to come out. In the end they did. I am so please with the way it looks stripped.

      A better view of just the top of the table. The center piece folds in half and hides under the table when it is pushed together. I will most likely keep it opened all the time for the bigger size. The person I purchased it from had an old set of table pads for it they gave me. Not pretty to look at but they will be under a tablecloth when we use the table so who cares?

      Another view of the table. Those legs were a bear to strip! Glad that is done.

       I have to wait a few days after stripping the set before I can apply the polyurethane. Hope to get to it this coming weekend. I use my garage as a work area which is why the table is back in the dining room until I can work on it again.  Can't wait to get this set finished and use it.

Let them eat....sitting down!

 

         The bathroom project was such a huge success it inspired me to dive right into the dining room table and chairs project. I found this table and chairs on Craigs List. We had to drive about an hour to pick it up but the price was right. (I got the whole set for $150.00!!)  It wasn't in too bad of shape, just needed refinishing and some tightening up in spots.

I love antiques but I am not one of those people that feel it detracts from the value if you refinish. I buy the pieces I do because I love them and they fit what I am searching for, not for the investment value.

Here is what it currently looks like:

The lighter table in the background is the table my husbands ex left behind. Just not my style, so it has been sold on Craigs List. ( My daughters say I am a CL junkie! Ha!) Just waiting for the people to come pick it up. I plan on starting on this project this weekend so hope to have more to post on Monday.