What started as a minor chip on my kitchen table turned into a three day refinishing marathon…
The table in my breakfast nook originally sat in my parent’s kitchen for years, at least 40 or more. I’ve enjoyed many family dinners and coffee visits around this table. My son inherited it when my mom passed away, but he didn’t have room for it and then it became mine. I originally had it in the greenhouse and painted apple green and it was perfect…for the greenhouse. It eventually ended in the house when I did my “table shuffle” several years ago.
Since then the table has changed “looks” several more times. I had no desire to strip the apple green paint off (lazy or impatient) so I used Annie Sloan chalk paint as it can be painted over most surfaces without sanding.
Once the table was in my kitchen, the first colour I painted it was pale green/cream. After that it has been several (at least!) shades of grey. The grey/blue/green shade in the top left corner of the photo above was the latest. Below that is the creamy green and apple green layers and the bottom left corner of the photo is the original shade which is a red/brown stain…not a colour that was going to work in my home
I used a non-toxic paint stripper. It took three rounds of stripper (if I had used a toxic stripper it probably would have been more effective) and a lot of elbow grease. The lacquered stain layer was the worst. It took hours of scraping off what looked like curlicue strips of plastic.
The plan was to start fresh with a coat of paint. I didn’t have any primer and the paint store was closed…the table sat bare overnight. In the wee hours of the night when normal people are sleeping, I was trying to visualize what colour I should paint.
Over the past year, I’ve added new colours to the decor and I’ve started to get concerned that I’ve got too much going on. Prior to redecorating my living room this spring, the colour theme throughout my house was fairly neutral. Yes, I have black/white tiles on most of the floors, the upholstery fabric on the sofa and chairs in the living room was grey velvet and the dining room was painted a charcoal grey…but everything else was creamy gold…maybe not what many of you would call neutral. But all the rooms were complimentary.
Last January I painted the dining room a “honey” colour and really switched up the living room with a blue velvet sofa, camel velvet club chairs, an area rug that is blue, beige and a bit of gold. I also had an occasional chair and ottoman recovered in a beige/gold ticking stripe.
The drapery in the kitchen is a floral print and in the dining room are gold velvet drapes.
The real elephant in the room is the fuchsia velvet banquette in the breakfast nook…what colour would I paint the table that might complement the rest of the decor???
This is a surprise to me…I left the wood bare with a couple of coats of satin clear top coat to protect it. The good news is that the finish ties in well with the rest of the decor.
I’m not sure what kind of wood the table is but it’s solid, has very little grain so I’m thinking it might be maple. There are a few nicks here and there but that adds character and memories of many family dinners and brunches. My mom was a terrific cook and loved to entertain (I didn’t inherit that gene).
There’s no guarantee the table will stay like this but for now I’m happy.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone…xox Judy❤️