Before and After | a Philco table
When my dad and I went over to the abandoned house to grab some furniture, we almost passed this little table by.
It was very lightweight, super wobbly, and the veneer top had terrible water damage.
But I could see that it had potential, and my dad thought he could make it more sturdy, so we threw it into the truck.
The veneer top was damaged beyond hope, so we scraped it off entirely.
There was wood underneath the veneer, but it was obviously not wood that was meant to be stained. So, this table was destined for paint.
An upside to painting: that opened up lots of possibilities for stabilizing the table! My dad drove screws in all the corners:
And I filled and sanded them. I also filled some of the knotty gaps in the top of the table.
Then I gave the whole thing a good sanding.
But before I sanded the old finish off, I took a photo of this, stamped on the side:
The internet tells me that Philco used to make home radios, so I'm guessing this must have been a radio table back in the day!
After sanding, I used my trusty Zinnser water-based primer, and then it was time for paint.
Benjamin Moore Advance, (my most favorite furniture paint in the whole world) is super, super hard to come by right now due to supply chain issues. So, I used a different type of cabinet paint that the paint store offered, and while it's ok, it's not quite as good as the Advance paint.
I chose a Benjamin Moore color for this paint, called First Light.
It's a very, very faint pink...much fainter than I imagined, based on Benjamin Moore's own photos!
Let's just say that my, "maybe this paint will be too pink!" worries were unfounded. 😉
Once I finished painting the table, my parents and I were all trying to figure out if something was wrong with the paint. It was so much lighter than I'd anticipated. But I put the table under the kitchen skylight with the paint chip on it, and it was indeed the right color.
Internet photos can be deceiving!
Anyway. The after photos are what you all are here for. 😉
Even in my own photos, depending on the light and angle, the color looks various shades of pink. And I can tell you that in low evening light, it looks way pinker than it does in broad daylight.
You can see that the screw holes are invisible now.
If you look at the white pot on the table for comparison, you can see that the paint IS vaguely pink. But it is most certainly not a strong type of pink!
So! We went from this:
To this:
And I'm pretty happy with that!
It looks so nice!
My dh used a vintage Philco tv case for his computer. I didn't know they also made radios.
I am here for all the before-and-afters! You are so good at rescuing furniture that would otherwise have gone to the dump, and giving it a second life. Can't wait to see the dining room table! 🙂
How lovely!
I like the rim-trim around the bottom of the top. It is just a little bit that makes the table look higher-end.
@Heidi Louise, I noticed that too, and I like it too 🙂
We all know where you got your craft and refurbishing skill!
About the temporariness of rentals: no place or possession is permanent. I feel a rental home is as much the renter's as a mortgaged one. The land the houses are on seems even less one's own: how can a person "own" part of the earth? To me, the land is everyone's, and that which your house is built upon is land you are currently using/occupying. Enjoy your new and fresh start in your new and fresh home, whicyh I know you will make into the coziest, most comforting place for your girls to live in and visit. Love and success to you, Kristen.
Yes, there is a part of me that thinks, "Gee, what's the point in getting all settled in here, decorating, and hanging things on the wall if I am only going to be here for a year?"
But then another part of me knows that a year is a lot of days, and that making this place into something that feels like home is very important, both for me and my girls.
@Gail,
I just love love, love your thoughta about the temporariness of material things, rentals etc and specially what you write about "owning" a piece of land!
To me the idea of "permanent" actually is downright scary. It makes me feel trapped with no way out. It seems to rob me of the chance to expand my world and horizons.
@Kristen, I have felt the same way the past several years, in rentals. I keep thinking, the NEXT place will be home long-term, haha. And now we have the landlord's furniture, so it doesn't even feel like it's our stuff. But I also know that my home environment affects my well-being and productivity.....so the work to make it homey continues.
Oof, that's hard to have someone else's furniture! I do at least have some of my own furniture (mainly my living room couches), so that helps a little.
@Gail, As a converted former home owner, now renter, I agree. Even those who own their homes never really know if they're going to be there forever. Also, a mortgaged property is really being rented from the bank, when you think about it! I love settling into a new rental and making it a cozy home!
@Lea, SAME. When I'm renting, if a neighbor does something annoying it actually bothers me less, because I think "Oh, if it gets worse and we can't do anything about that, we can always find another place!"
You have a great eye and some mad refinishing skills. I love all the soft corners on that table: it was totally meant to be pink.
I'm normally not a pink paint person, but the color you chose is so lovely!
Philco made any number of things, including major appliances. Many an Etsy shop sells restored radios, and we're the proud owners of a 1948 Philco cookbook. (You should look up their televisions! So rad and fun.) Our Philco discovery started with a 1948 Philco fridge that we bought off Craigslist for $50. We needed a fridge, this one was inexpensive, and it was GORGEOUS. It worked perfectly and was the pride of our kitchen for over a decade before the nearly 73-year-old compressor went kaput last spring. Realizing there was no affordable way to save it, we called around the used appliance shops to see if anyone wanted to give it a second life via retrofitting or what have you. The last thing we wanted was for it to just be scrapped, as it served us well. Our Philco now sits in the "museum room" portion of a local shop that keeps examples of older electronics for people to enjoy. The owner was legitimately excited to finally have a Philco fridge!
@N, that is GREAT!
Okay so that table you have is really quite old. It's one of those things if you hadn't shown the horrible state of it beforehand you might get some more nasty comments from people about the paint. 😉
Philco was indeed a maker of radios but also televisions. In fact several of their products are considered icons of design including the successful Philco 90 Cathedral radio and the Philco Predicta television (which looks great but caused the bankruptcy of the company.) Philco was later acquired by Ford and then after a time passed around before finally having all the names snatched up by the Dutch company Phillips.
Fun side fact: because Phillips and Philco sounded so similar, Phillips was forced to market products under the Norelco name which they are still using along with the Philips name for electric razors but are slowly but surely phasing out completely.
Now back to your table:
Your table was most likely sold as an accessory table for a radio as I don't know that it's new enough to be a TV stand. If you want to see what it would've looked like in all its stained mahogany glory then check out this link I found when searching about:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/mahogany-philco-table.16851/
@Battra92, Thanks for sharing that link! That table was gorgeous with its original finish, but I equally love it as Kristen painted it.
@Battra92,
Thanks for sharing the information on the Philco table.
Yes, given its age, if it had been in salvageable condition I probably would have gone with stain instead of paint. But that veneer top did me in; even my dad could not see a way to salvage that wood!
The table in the photo that you shared is in AMAZING condition. That looks almost brand new. And I bet it was way less wobbly than this one.
@Kristen,
I follow a few folks on Instagram who regularly re-veneer the tops on dressers, desks, little tables, with real wood veneer. Sometimes to replace badly damaged real wood veneer, other times to replace the plastic laminate tops that were put on otherwise gorgeous wood furniture. Then they stain to match the original piece. They make it look easy, if you have access to the right tools to trim the edges flush. That said, I’m not offended by this pink makeover! It looks fabulous, and another item you’ve saved from landfill! Yay!!
Here’s a YouTube video of what I’m talking about, plus it talks about ebonizing with steel wood and vinegar, which I’m very tempted to try on an 80s light oak bookcase I have.
https://youtu.be/2Sm2wULXQPM
I love the color!!! Another great save!
Love your before and afters! This table is beautiful! And the plants! I love having the house plant my parents cared for, it brings life and energy into our home. I don't know about you, but I named mine - Dot, for my dad's mom, Dorothy Jean. 🙂
@Brooke,
The first houseplant that I've ever kept alive is from my uncles funeral. It was tiny and is now quite big and I love it. My uncle was one of my most favorite people on earth and I named my plant Jimi after him. And I talk to it all the time. I probably annoy it with all my jabbering but I know my uncle would get a kick out of me doing that. I had to go out of town a couple weekends ago, so I watered it before I left and told it "I'll be back in a couple of days - hold down the fort while I'm gone" haha
@kris, Studies have shown that plants that are talked to grow better. Skeptics would say it is because the speaker blows more carbon dioxide at them, which they make into oxygen. Others like you know better.
@kris, Ha, yes, I do that, too! Every day I ask her how's she's doing! I am also crazy about making sure the blinds are up so she gets enough sun. I should mention that this plant was almost dead by the time I got to my parents house after my dad died (and mom was in a facility). And then over several months, my mom coached me on how to take care of her. So this plant is definitely more than a plant.
@Heidi Louise, I love this.
I sort of expected to see a beautiful 1940's radio on the table. 🙂
And, I agree that color in on line photos is sometimes so far off that I have been suspicious of tampering to increase sales. Who knows?
Looks beautiful! What a fun little display table you have now. I love a hint of pink around the house like that. Trying to find ways to incorporate it in my house, too.
Wow! What a beautiful transformation!
I can't tell you how inspiring your furniture rehab is to me! We're in the middle of a very very expensive, extensive, and financially draining remodel. When all the big ticket stuff is finished, I won't have much (if anything) leftover for actual furnishing and decorating. I'm definitely going to be leaning into your playbook of learning to rehab furniture to help frugally furnish the space!
It looks great! Your ability to see potential and to follow through is amazing!
Great job Kristen. It looks amazing and I think the subtle pink is perfect. I get the feeling your new "home" is going to be as comfortable as your house was but lighter in look and feel.
It is so hard to get an accurate understanding of color from the internet. My husband and I are shopping for a rug and some that I was drawn to based on pictures on the internet were immediately rejected. Rugs that I thought were blue turned out to be more grey or black. Rugs that had a hint of maroon turned out to be way too orange in real life.
My old heart went pitty-pat when I saw the name Philco. I remember it well. Philco put radios in cars, too. All those old Fords with Philco radios.... oh, memories.
I love the way the table turned out. That was good going, picking it up when it didn't look too promising. What made you choose pink instead of white? I love it, but I am just curious.
Well, I thought, "Hmm, I am always painting things either white or black. Time to branch out." And then I googled to see what colors people are currently using to paint furniture, and this one came up. So, I gave it a try!
Great looking table. I am not a fan of pink in general, but I like this color a lot.
Can you say what company makes it and the color?
You do a great job in reclaiming items like this. To me, this is the ultimate in "frugal" living, which I heartily endorse.
I wish it were easier where I live to find such items. Things get tossed into the street and here, someone scoops them up almost immediately. (And the stuff now in thrift stores is overpriced for what it is, if you can even find.)
Love that you share your stories of reclaiming. It's inspiring.
Oh, the color is an actual Benjamin Moore color; it's First Light.
The paint is Insl-x Cabinet Coat; it's all right, but not nearly as good as Benjamin Moore Advance. The Insl-x paint just doesn't flow out to quite such a smooth finish when compared to the Advance.
I'm curious about how many hours you spend on your furniture transformations? Would this be an afternoon project or a multi-day project?
My projects usually do spread out over multiple days, but that's because I do them in bits and pieces, when I have time.
But no matter how focused you are, these do take some time because you have to let paint dry in between coats, and you also have to let wood filler dry before you can sand it.
It's not like you have to sit there and stare at the piece while the paint is drying, though; you can go do something else while you wait!
@Kristen,
Just so I'm clear, you are NOT sitting around watching paint dry these days? 😉
Another great restoration job by Kristen and Dad!
Your hard-to-pin-down pale pink reminds me a bit of the color DH and I chose for the exterior stucco and a lot of the interior walls of our house, "Rosette" by Glidden (of blessed memory). Rosette is a bit warmer and earthier, but equally elusive.
And one note of caution: If you haven't already done so, please put a coaster under the spider plant. It'd be a pity to ruin that beautiful paint job with clay saucer marks. I've done this a time or two myself, so I speak from rueful knowledge.
Oh yes, I am going to be very careful not to let my newly finished table get water-damaged. Paint does resist water a little better than stain does, but still...I want to preserve my work!
Do you like how the previous owner's pots had left clean circles on the table (in the before picture)??
@Kristen, yes, the "before" picture tells the whole story of what not to do with plants on wooden tabletops!
OMG It is gorgeous. You and your dad are so talented. Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
If you ever get tired of nursing, you can go into furniture rehab for a living!
You gave it new life, and a new home. Sure is Pretty in pink!
Oh wow! I love love love it!
Thank you for sharing the transformation of your found furniture. You do such a wonderful job of restoring things back to loveliness! There's a lesson there for us all, there's beauty in the broken.
Wow! I continue to be amazed at all your furniture before and afters! I have a hard time seeing the potential in pieces because I don't know the restoration process very well. If you ever need a side hustle, your skills could definitely be useful for selling / teaching others.
True, true...I just think I would have a hard time charging enough to make it worth my time. Either that, or I'd have to get much faster at this so that my time investment was lower!
Love! Love! Love! I am so happy you did not pass this sweet little table up. You and your dad make an amazing team! Enjoy!
You and your Dad did a great job! The table looks beautiful.
Gorgeous! Nothing like a good before and after lol 🙂
This is the shade of my girls' bedroom! So very lovely.
It’s beautiful! What a great job!!
I'm not a pink person, but that table is SO CUTE! Job well done, Kristin! You too, Mr. Kristin's Dad!
The table looks so good, the bookcase too. Furniture rescues are very rewarding. Great job!
It's beautiful! And how fun that you have your dad to work alongside.
Beautiful!!!!
Looks lovely, of course. I have a question: why did you sand it after you put it back together, rather then while it was still in pieces? It seems to me that it's be easier to sand flat pieces, rather than deal with the corners after the piece is reassembled.
Oh, I didn't take this one apart at all! It was fully assembled the whole time.
Your table turned out just beautiful!
When we bought our now home, the homeowners had freshly painted the walls what was supposed to be taupe. The color was, instead, pink! And I thought they were just too lovely to paint over. I only decorate in retro/vintage, and I think it was fate. Pink matches so many things, and I love my walls. My only fear: having to repaint someday and not being able to match the same color! Your table is lovely. 🙂
That is a seriously beautiful little table now!
Great looking table. In the 1950s we had a Philco T.V. It was the first one in the neighborhood and EVERYONE came by to see it!
Super cute! I love pale pink!
Another great job!! I love these posts for so many reasons, but I especially love that you took something that most would consider junk and throw out but instead, you brought back it's purpose AND made it beautiful.
That's what makes it super satisfying; the grungier the piece, the higher the satisfaction!
There is so much to love here with this post:
- the obvious love your Dad has for you/his family.
- the skill set you have to transform nearly ruined furniture into gorgeous pieces.
- the optimism and not dwelling on the past that all of this work shows.
- the beautiful photography; everything is placed and set up just so.
There’s a skylight in your kitchen?!
Beautiful!!
That table looks great! Good job!
I have used Benjamin Moore paint quite a bit. It's very strange how the color doesn't seem to look like what I picked out, but when I've put the chip next to it, it matches. Something about the lighting maybe? I don't notice it with other paint manufacturers. I, too, used the Advance paint for painting two beds and a dressing table. It's beautiful paint and looks wonderful on furniture. So smooth, even with a brush! I love how your table turned out.
Beautiful! I never would have seen the potential in that table in a million years. Enjoy!
Another great job! I love these posts. Maybe not as much as Stitch Fix and cookie eyes, but a close third. 😉
It's beautiful. I love the delicate pink.
I had no idea that veneer good be sanded. Thanks for the tip!
Well, in this case, we removed the veneer entirely. Those are the shards in the photo on the garage floor.
But when veneer is in good shape, yes, you can sand it! I've done that lots of times. You obviously can't be TOO aggressive, or you'll sand through the veneer, but you can definitely sand enough to take the old finish off.
I love these before-and-after shares. They are so inspiring! You did a great job with that piece. My father's first job post-military was working for Philco Ford as a QC inspector, so that imprint brought back some memories. I can't wait to see some of the other pieces you've worked on. 🙂
I love the lines of that little table! So simple and graceful!
That is gorgeous! Thanks for the before and after pictures.
It looks so good! I'm very envious of your amazing ability to envision a transformation, & then see it through. Well done! You will have so many positive memories of your new furniture in your home.
Wow, nice refinishing work! I love the subtle pink color.
It’s gorgeous! But I think you could have “saved” or highlighted the Philco emblem somehow, which would make it even more magically beautiful.
Ooh, I dunno how I would have done it. Even if I'd sanded and stained the table, I think I still would have lost the logo.
I never would have thought to 1) refinish that table! it was in such bad condition! and 2) to paint it pink. It turned out so very lovely!
When I chose a pink paint for my daughter's nursery I chose the color I wanted, then moved down the paint chip and had the lightest color mixed. On the wall, it was the perfect shade of pink.
Lots of work, looks beautiful, Good Job!
Cute table! You could have a side hustle of rehabing old furniture, you are very good at it
I just don't know if I am fast enough at it to make money at it! I should time myself next time I do a piece to see just how many hours I invest.
Beautiful work and paint color choice!
I found your blog over 10 years ago when I searched “how to paint furniture.” I loved the instructions and photos you provided and I followed your steps to paint my daughter’s twin headboard a creamy white. Since then I’ve gone on to rescue and rehab many pieces to furnish our little home. And all these years I have read and received immeasurable encouragement, tips, and wisdom from The Frugal Girl. Thank you, thank you for consistently sharing with all of us through your blog and social media!
This latest furniture restoration story of yours makes me so happy. I’m been praying for you.
Ohh, I am so happy that my post helped you successfully paint some furniture. Yay!!
I also love these painting projects. Would you say you need a garage and "professional" equipment? I am especially thinking about the sanding.
Nope; until I worked on some pieces in my dad's garage, I have never had a garage to work in! I have always been working on a back patio or in a backyard.
The only important equipment I use is my Bosch orbital sander. Other than that, it's just manual labor from me. 🙂
Ooh, I posted on FB that I loved the clean white simplicity - but now I see it really is a very delicate pink and it's lovely!! You and your dad did a fabulous job. I like your very green and healthy plants, too. A perfect accent.
I bought a similar (closed sides) Philco table from a lady who used to work at Philco. She said they were promotional pieces for their dealers, typically. I've tried several times to find a value. But, very few exist.
Philco's plant had a radio shop and a separate furniture (cabinet) shop. Both were very good at what they did.
Ohh, that explains why I had such trouble finding info about these tables online!