Back to the Drawing/Painting Board....

So a few posts ago I was talking about this great table I found for our dining area.  Here it is as I found it many weeks earlier.

As mentioned, we have an old church pew that I wanted to use as the main piece to make a dining/banquette area.  I was super excited and finally had time to get into the workshop and start the finishing process.

As I had also mentioned, I was going to use my sander to avoid the fumes, mess and toxic chemicals....so I started out with the coarsest grit sandpaper and then worked my way to the finest finish grade paper.

Super rewarding work but it does take some time....luckily this winter has been mild enough in Toronto that I was able to do most of the sanding outside....truly recommended to avoid the find coat of sandpaper all through the house.  We actually noticed that the furnace stopped working due to a clogged filter....so it's definitely worth avoiding that situation!!

The old finish came off easily and the wood beneath was revealed...

I wasn't totally sold on it, but keep going till I had completed each piece (I had taken them apart to work on them so it was easier to manage and get all surfaces).  I put the table back together and added a coat of Tung Oil.

After the oil finish went on the true colour of the wood came through....in a very RED way...

I really wasn't loving it, but thought I would bring it up to the kitchen and put it in place to see how it looked in the space and light up there.

ARGH!!!! It looked even worse in it's new home!!!  I was so disappointed in the results.  I had to leave (drop kids off, run, get to work etc etc) so I left it there and waited til I got home to reassess.

The whole day I was trying to think what look I wanted for that area.  I wanted something rustic and more in keeping with the old church pew.  I tried to visualize what finish I wanted on the table.  I decided that what I really wanted was a painted/stained combination.  I wanted the base to be painted white (with some rubbed off in places to make it look aged) and the top to be stained dark.  I didn't want a painted top because in my experience that doesn't work well with kids, markers etc.  I think the stained wood finish is more durable and able to take abuse better than white paint.

On a whim (okay knee-jerk impulse reaction) I ordered some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White....remember Annie from my other painted project?

Annie and I are now besties.....she had me at "1 coat, no prep"

Sooooo.... you will all have to stay tuned yet again to view this work in progress.  I have also decided that the pew needs a good sanding to take off some of that shiny finish (I prefer the matte look)....apparently this little bargain purchase of the table is turning into a bit of an epic project!!!

I really think that when doing something like this you shouldn't be afraid to head back to the drawing board...really consider what you want and if it doesn't work out...you can change it.  It will be worth all the effort once I have my banquette area just the way I love it.  Not so sure my husband would agree on that one though...