The scuffed table (at long last!!!)
Allllllll the way back in the winter of 2023, I saw a hilarious Facebook Marketplace listing.
Behold, a "scuffed table":
In no world is this table merely scuffed. Ha.
I bought it, kind of as a joke, because it was only $5.
I brought it home and sanded it, of course. But the top was still very damaged.
Luckily, my dad sweetly offered to make a new top for it by gluing together some pieces of wood and then routing the edges.
And I primed it.
Unfortunately, things really paused there for a while, because interestingly enough, I could not seem to take on other projects while also working my rear off at nursing school.
(As I say, you can only slay at so many things simultaneously. We have to make choices, and I chose nursing school.)
ANYWAY.
When we last left off, I had bought some purple/gray paint to try.
This was kind of a fail, and you can read the story of how I tried it on a rehabbed fruit crate from the abandoned house.
In conclusion, I decided not to use this for my scuffed table at all.
So, I went in an entirely different direction and bought a muted green, which was kind of fun because I have never used green paint on furniture before
(Although by now you also know I used this on my trash-picked little table!)
I used the green on everything but the top, which I opted to stain.
The drawer pulls I used are actually a gift from a local reader; she rescued them from a dresser that was out for trash pick-up, and she had some extras. Thank you, Suz!
(The readership here is full of kindred spirits. I would 100% rescue knobs from a trashed dresser. Ha.)
I needed some extra long screws to get these through the drawers, but I could not find any options besides silver. And I thought gold would look better with this color scheme.
So, I used a birthday offer from Ace Hardware to buy a small can of gold spray paint, and I just sprayed the silver screws.
Easy peasy, and they look a little more elevated now.
So! That is the end of this very long scuffed table saga.
I'm so happy it's done and in my living room now! And so is Chiquita, apparently.
As I said last week about my trash-picked table, I don't know for sure if I'd pick this up if I had to do it over.
But since I have a blog, sometimes it does make sense to do something that would otherwise be nonsensical, just for the entertainment it provides to everyone here. 😉
P.S. Remember when I deconstructed trail mix to see if it was cheaper to make it or buy it? That's another undertaking that only made sense because I am a blogger. Ha.
The table actually turned out very beautiful! I love the lines on the upper and lower drawer, and the drawer knobs (with the golden screws) are very pretty. Plus the beautiful stained top. This is definitely something you could not buy anywhere else. It is also a daily reminder of having a wonderful dad and great kindred spirit readers. What is not to like?
(I saved the knobs of the baby dressing table our parents used for my siblings and I. It was very thin wood and falling apart after I had used as a cupboard as a student, and then as a dressing table for our kids. I simpy put the knobs on a painted plank, and use them for hanging my necklaces and bags on. I see and enjoy them every day)
@JNL,
We still have the pine chest of drawers my parents had for me more than 65 years ago. My mom was finishing it when she went into labor.
@K D,
I love to see pieces of furniture and art passed on from one generation to the next. There is something symbolic and meaningful about this continuity of ownership.
@JNL, what a great idea to use the knobs!
@JNL, My mother inherited a lovely early 20th century armchair with a seat cushion hand embroidered by her mother (my grandmother). I inherited it from my mother, and have now passed it along to one of my nieces who recently moved to Santa Fe and got a lovely apartment in need of some furniture! My niece has had something of a fixation on my grandmother (her great-grandmother), going so far as to name one of her beloved cats after her! And has done extensive genealogical research, and I know she will be a good and faithful steward of what is now known as "The Chair".
@JNL,
I made a jewelry holder with a piece of driftwood and a variety of knobs painted in different colours, which I love. But none as special as your baby dressing table knobs! What a sweet idea.
Kristen, it's gorgeous! You work magic!
That turned out so beautifully!!! Excellent choice on that shade of green, and the glass knobs perfectly echo the shape of the ornate feet.
It's beautiful. I think you not only saved it from the landfill but, with a little help, elevated it. The transformation reminds me of your personal journey.
I think Chiquita wants that bottom drawer for her cat treats! Anyway, congratulations to you (and your dad) on another fine furniture rescue.
That looks beautiful. But I must disagree with you; I think it makes sense to do seemingly pointless things even if you don't have a blog. These little side-quests (?) make our lives fulfilling. My current silly thing is tracking how many cards I play up in solitaire games (following the same rules each time). I have no idea why I started, but I've enjoyed it and I've learned from it. It never occurred to me that there exists a certain point at which if you play just one more card up, then you will be able to play all the cards up. I have not yet played more than 20 cards up without being able to play all 52. Is it pointless? Yes. Sort of.
But so often these days people do things just because of social media (to be able to prop up their image) instead of doing things just because.
I'm not sure if I've expressed myself well. If you think I'm criticizing you, I haven't expressed myself well. I only meant that I think it would (or should) make sense even if you didn't have a blog.
@Jody S.,
I understand. Sometimes it is fun to challenge oneself. I have several little challenges that I undertake from time to time. Every morning while drinking my coffee, I try to do the NYT mini-crossword in less than 2 minutes. Other days, I try to make dinner with what is on hand even when these ingredients seemingly have different flavor profiles. It's my own version of the cooking show, Chopped. I set a silly goal at the gym when I go and so forth.
In the past, I have also undertaken furniture restoration and upcycling projects. However, none has been as challenging as Kristen's slightly scuffed table. This is an amazing transformation! From trash to treasure.
@Bee, I think so, too, about the scuffed table. I'm generally more about natural wood over painting, but this table is the perfect combination of both. My upcycling projects tend to look a little, um, amateur. Yesterday I was at a local brewery for the first time, and their decor was wonderfully upcycled. Somebody had made amazing sculptures out of gadgets--but the functional things were also that perfect blend of mismatched-upcycled-old stuff.
I like to do my own (in my mind) version of Chopped with the things I need to use up. Sometimes it's a hit; often we just eat it anyway.
@Jody S., I see your point and agree! Sometimes those nonsensical things that are just for me scratch an itch in my brain. 🙂
@Jody S., excellent point, well-expressed!
This is true; if something brings us joy, that alone can make it worthwhile. 🙂
@Jody S., I've gotten sucked into the NYTimes puzzle quicksand. I am happy to report I have a "genius" rating on Spelling Bee, and a 98% winning record on Wordle. (I lost one game -- only one! -- and broke my 100% winning streak. I'm still brooding about that.)
@JDinNM, what do you think about Connections? It is hit or miss with me…..and rhe misses are by a mile. Still, I am hooked on that, Wordle and Strands, my bedtime treat to myself.
@Jean C, I'll have to try those out!
I think this is my favorite piece you have shown us. And your dining room table is a close 2nd. Congratulations to you and your Dad for saving this furniture from the land fill. Long may you use it!
Ooo, I reeeally like the stained top with the painted rest of it. And I love the green. I think this is one of the best re-habbing things you've done. Great job! And of course, kudos to Chiquita for all her help, too. That first photo of her on the shelf is so funny. If ever a photo should be captioned, "This is mine now," that one is it.
Another great rehab Kristen! And I agree with @karen that your dining room table rehab is fabulous as well! You have inspired me to take on several of my own projects. And Yay to you for sprinkling in a Nursing graduation photo <3. I think you should be including them for a great long while!
It's beautiful! I really like that green color. You have such a gift for seeing the potential for beauty in scruffy or everyday things, as is constantly evidenced by your rehab projects and photos.
And yay that the glass knobs found a new life! I need to find ways to use the rest. This was a beautiful old suite of furniture out for trash and I left it at first, hoping someone would take the actual furniture and give it a new life. But it was so huge; it would have been hard to move and fit into a house - anyway, nobody wanted it. So at the last minute we scrambled out and unscrewed (a couple dozen!) knobs so at least they live on..
@Suz, kudos to you for rescuing all of those beautiful knobs.
@Kristen, what a gorgeous transformation of that "scuffed" table!
@Suz,
Great save on the glass knobs! I will be taking a closer look when I see furniture at the curb. 🙂
I'm so happy you scavenged them!
Table came out great! I love that you left the top just stained!
Love Love the knobs!!!
Those drawers are perfectly cat-sized. I bet the cats are happy you made them a house.
I think it looks terrific. I would not have dared try a stained top with a painted body even though I know they look great. Can you tell us more about the staining process? I prefer wood-colored to painted wood but the process intimidates me.
@WilliamB, I was thinking the same thing! And having known many cats, they would try to sit in it even if they don't really fit.
I actually really kick myself every time I do a stained top because I just hate dealing with the cleanup of brushes and such. IF I were to do it again, I'd probably go with water-soluble poly just to make cleanup easier. I know oil-based is more durable for things like floors, but for a tabletop at my small household, I think water based would have been fine.
@Kristen, It's the "cleanup" that dissuades me from all sorts of projects. I don't mind the project itself. It's the aftermath....
@Kristen, BUT.... future Kristen was possibly thinking about future use of the cute little table, like little children that might spill something on the top.?
😉
@Kristen, A neighbor of ours is a retired furniture restorer, and he swears by foam brushes for stain and poly. Since his recommendation, I've likewise become a devotee. The finish is superb, the foam gets stain/poly in every nook and cranny, and one just disposes of the foam brushes vs. working with mineral spirits. The same foam brushes are good for a week if kept in a ziploc-- just throw on a coat of stain or poly, bag the brush, repeat when it's time for the next coat.
Ooh good to know! I will try that next time.
Think of the stories that table could tell. Thanks for keeping it out of the landfill. You have a gift to be able to rescue furniture. Your dad did a great job also.
It turned out beautifully! It may have been a big undertaking, but the end result was worth the effort.
This is beautiful, Kristin. I see the rescued furniture, no matter how scuffed and trash picked, turning out beautiful just as I see our lives, when we are thinking we are ignored, rejected, or just plain beat up by circumstances, as having a new life after putting in a lot of work and giving it a new purpose. Sometimes it takes gifts from family and friends to help make things new as well. Furniture with a new life are being used in your new life. I love this in so many ways. <3
@MommaJo,
Love this!
Kristen, this piece is pretty similar to one I redid a while back. I am sure they are from the same era. Mine has a shelf where yours has a bottom drawer. Mine was also quite "scuffed". I went with black paint and a stained top. Now we both have beautiful, unique pieces of furniture that will bring pleasure for years.
I would have saved those knobs as well and the table is beautiful!
I think it looks great! The top your dad made is beautiful.
Related (sort of)--anyone remember the explosion of sewing blogs post-'08 recession? So much cute handmade DIY clothes, lots of recycled fabric. I was SO INTO it. And now it's all back--Gen Z is super into it. And I do find it inspiring, but now as a more experienced seamstress...sometimes wearing a skirt made from worn-out bedsheets just like you're wearing a worn-out bedsheet, you know? Which is a long-winded way of saying that I am QUITE proud of myself for just using my old duvet cover to cut test-versions of garments (which are then trashed or composted if cotton,) instead of agonizing over making something "useful."
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com), I follow poppyluclothing on instagram. She makes beautiful clothes from cast-off embroidered tablecloths. Reuse and reimagine!
@Bee,
I love Poppylu! Some of her creations are just amazing!
Oh, that is a great way to use up a bed-sheet! Practical without making you walk around in a worn out bedsheet. 😉
@Meira (meirathebear.wordpress.com), I've not used bed sheets for clothing (yet), but it would make more sense to me to use the old sheets for a twirly dress for a little girl because 1) she will love it if it's twirly regardless of the material and 2) she will grow out of it so quickly; makes sense to use less money on something like that.
@Bee, I often come across her stuff, and she's definitely very creative! An inspiring example of textile re-use.
@Jody S., that's very true--when I make things for my daughter, I usually try to use my old clothes. But I'm learning that a 3-4T is as big as I can make out of a women's M/L garment, so that option will run out in about a year!
@Bee,
I've seen embroidered table clothes turned into curtains & aprons a lot. I actually bought some big embroidered cotton (decorative) hand towels with the intention of making short curtains or short apron because they looked so darling when others have done (& seen at local craft shows).
I LOVE how that table turned out!!!
Well! It was a long wait to see the final results, but it was worth it! I love the green, and your dad did a great job on the top! It is a far cry from the sad little "scuffed" table. That description of "scuffed" still makes me laugh.
You reminded me. DH and I took an all-wood child's dresser that had been my oldest sister's childhood dresser and sanded and refinished it. It had plain wood handles but one was badly chewed by my beagle (oops) many years ago. DH removed them, filled the holes, and drilled new centered holes to put in rose-patterned pull knobs, then he cut a pretty scallop-edged piece to stand up on the back of the top, stained to match. We gifted it to my sister's young granddaughter. My sister didn't even recognize it at first - I had to tell her it was her old dresser. It was so satisfying! Just think, years from now, one of your kids may be using that little table and telling others about how Mom rescued and rehabbed it and that Grandfather remade the top.
It looks amazing! Great job!
Chiquita found her niche in your beautiful new side table! I think those are among the most adorable cat photos you've posted, and the table looks terrific as well.
I've saved some fancy metal drawer pulls and cabinet handles that were the hardware in my master bathroom when I moved in. I had it remodeled and the workers somehow lost a set of drawer handles, and the metal filigree look is no longer available to purchase. For a while, the lowest drawer didn't have a drawer pull. Then I was at an estate sale down the street and saw two larger cabinet handles that looked just like mine, except they were gold where mine were silver. But I got them anyway and put them on the two cabinet doors and put one of the handles on the drawer, since my cabinet hardware was the same size as the drawer hardware. I had them on there for many years until I got tired of them.
Last year, I got a set of plain bronze pulls that matches the towel racks. I put them on the drawers and cabinet doors, and they look nice.
I'm saving the filigree hardware in case I ever want to dress up some furniture someday; they'd go great on a chest or cabinet or something.
Meanwhile, I got tired of seeing the ugly copper knobs on my bifold closet doors. I bought some silver-colored brush steel wavy ones for $3 at Habitat ReStore, and the updated look is 100% better. It's amazing what a big difference such a little change can make!
It looks really great, and once again reminds me that everyone has such different skills & talents. I would have never, ever been able to do that. So, well done you for rescuing the table & turning it into something appealing. And, finding a new place for Chiquita to pla. 😉
And you can do many things I can't! It is the beauty of how humans are. 🙂
Darling table. LOVE THE GREEN
Absolutely beautiful, Kristen! From all your refurbished pieces this one I like the best. And it has such an interesting history now.
Fantastic idea to just spray paint the screws.
Wow, another awesome rescue rehab!
Your excellent photography is exceeded only by the magic you have performed on a almost irredeemable piece.
That little table turned out cute! That is such an interesting and fun green color. Looks very vintage and cool. What a turnaround!!!!
Still love that green paint color! How'd you come up with the idea to stain the top and paint the rest? I love the look. Thanks for entertaining us with this project 😉
Oh, I have done that on a few things (my kitchen table and my toaster oven table) and I do like the way it looks generally. But I kinda hate using stain and poly because I dislike the cleanup process of non-water-soluble stuff!
What an amazing transformation! Well done! I have only 2 furniture rehab projects under my belt, but I'm happy with both of them and gained the courage to try them after reading through many of your posts on the topic. And those glass knobs are such a great touch!
I use silver and gold paint pens to change things out.
I love that you think out of the box and redo. Give new life to other wise trash. I never would have thought of gold paint.
I LOVE that table!! It looks beautiful and elegant. You ( and your dad) did a wonderful transformation!
You (and your Dad) did a wonderful job on this little table! I love anything upcycled! The color, the mix of painted bottom and stained top, the glass knobs...it all just works! You & your dad may have done the work but, I will always & forever refer to this as "Chiquita's Table". She kind of demanded it. Ha!
Beautiful!
Gorgeous table! I really love the green with stained top. What made me laugh was that someone dared to ask for any money for the original item - if it were me I would be paying $5 for someone to take it off my hands.
The table is adorable! Love it for certain. The color you chose is fun! Love too see how you finish these fun finds.
Wow! That's an amazing glow up!!!
“The project that took the longest”. I have several of those. All us DYIers probably do. Remember when you did the fridge cleanout challenge (that’s when I started following you). You could do something similar here and challenge us all to comment on that little, or big project that sits partially completed in our own homes. It might just be the motivation for me to finish them.
Also, loved the little cabinet. The green paint is lovely.
LOVE these furniture posts! Cute color too.
It's adorable. I love the color combo. Chiquita cracks me up with how she "helps" you finish your projects. And your dad is a rock star!
All your projects always turn out fantastic!!! I love the stained top with the beautiful green! Very impressive to pull a house together the way you have!! I love rehab posts!
So pretty!!
That is so beautiful!
Girl, your dad did a great job making a new top for that cute little side table.
I love the glass knobs! <3
It turned out nice. 🙂
Teen just curb picked a solid metal (silver) side table that looks similar to one of my wooden antique tables--small flat top curved single middle support with claw feet. The metal curb find is actually pretty heavy, but it is scratched SO....???
Gorgeous Results!
the table is so beautiful. you are multitalented. enjoy. as always thanks for the chiquita pictures. my buddy (cockapoo)) went to the vet today. kennel cough. have no clue where he got it. vet said he is a great dog with a nice disposition. the vet is in brooklyn and hubby went with our son. they took the subway as we don't have a car. noah said buddy was happy to be there. i had to go to my neurosurgeon who is treating me for my tremor. injected me with botox. i hope it works. once again i sat around forever in a dr's office.
OMG, I love it so much -- and those knobs MAKE it! Great work and vision. I love a good, "pull it out, it's exciting again/there's time/bandwidth again"project! Fantastic.
That looks beautiful! You sure do have a talent for rehabbing furniture. I love that style of drawer pull and door knob. I would totally also rescue that from a dresser out for the trash!
The scuffed table turned out better than I thought! It looks quite lovely 🙂
There is one other area where deconstructing trail mix might make sense. My mother lived with us for two years when her Alzheimer's got quite severe, just before she went into a residential home. She still loved the feeling of helping out, but was rarely able to do so in a way that was actually helpful. One Christmas, my sister-in-law sent a big cookie tin of nuts 'n bolts, and I set it in my parents sitting room for them to help themselves. I came back to see my mother had sorted it all! She was very pleased with herself. So I thanked her, took it to the kitchen, remixed it, took it back in and said, "That was really helpful. Do you think you could do this one too?" This became her favourite Christmas activity that year.
The comment section has turned into such a fun "here's my mini challenge" scene! Everyone has so many interesting ways to set goals and entertain themselves!
That table turned out really fantastic! You definitely have the furniture rehab gift- complete with vision, skill, and perseverance. Looks great!!
I’ve waited a long time to see this and I’m glad you got it finished!!
Looks nice!
I've been waiting a long time to see how this project turned out. It's just beautiful!
You’re making me feel better about the very heavy cabinet I got off of my local buy nothing group! As I’ve been working on it, I discovered beautiful wood on top, and laminate on the sides. Now I think I will paint everything but the top before passing it on to my son, who has been patiently waiting for it for almost a year.
It's beautiful! I love the color and the fact that you left the top in a stain. It's now a lovely antique now and YOU saved it! Great job!
It reminds me of the time I saw a desk on the side of the road on the way home from work. It was a maple drop leaf desk with all the cubby holes inside with a bow front. I went up to the house to make sure it was actually being tossed and, indeed, it was. I tried to get it into my hatchback Honda Civic, but, of course, it wouldn't fit. So I called my husband at home just a few miles away and the phone to voicemail! Ugh! So I ran home and found him in the garden. We brought his truck back to the get to desk. I figured if it wasn't there, then it wasn't meant to be. But it was still there! I felt bad and I gave the woman the $15 I had in my wallet. She could have easily sold it on marketplace or ebay. Like your treasure, it sat in our garage for a couple years. It needed some repair work on a leg and to be refinished, but was too big a job for me. I finally took it to a local furniture refinisher who did a beautiful job. It's now in our den. It would easily cost several hundred dollars if I had bought it in an antique store. So like you, we have a saved treasure with a story.