Learn how to refinish a table with tips on how to remove the finish, prepare the wood for staining, stain the table, and protect it with polyurethane. This post contains affiliate links and sponsored products.
Oh how I wish I could work this fast in real life! Watch me refinish this table in 60 seconds in the video below.
Our breakfast nook table was purchased 8 years ago. When I think about the life of a table that doesn’t seem like a very long time, but our family of four has lived a lot of our lives around this table! We eat our meals, do homework, play board games, complete school projects, execute lego builds, design craft projects, meet deadlines, and complete blog posts at this table. The poor finish on the table was reflecting all of that wear and tear and it was time to do something about it.
I was originally going to just paint the table white and call it a day, but I knew in my heart that the table would chip and I wouldn’t be happy with it long-term. Refinishing a table is a lot more work than painting, but the payoff is worth it!
How to Refinish a Table
Step 1: Gather your tools and supplies.
Step 2: Put on your safety gear (chemical gloves and eye protection), place Citristrip in metal pail, and paint on Citristrip.
Paint on a generous layer of product, about 1/8 inch thick. The packaging states that you can leave the product on between 1-24 hours; however, you don’t want to wait too long before removing the Citristrip because you risk the product drying on the table. It becomes white and flaky as it dries and is much more difficult to remove.
I usually wait about 1.5-2 hrs before beginning to scrape off the product and stain.
Step 3: Scrape product off table using plastic scraper and steel brush.
Using a steel brush to scrape off product may scratch your table if you’re not careful. I was going for a rustic look on this table, so I wasn’t worried if the wood received a few blemishes from the brushes. My goal was to remove the glossy finish and most of the stain from the table but not to get down to bare wood. This method worked perfectly for my goal!
Step 4: Clean off remaining product and stain with mineral spirits and then sand table and remove debris with a tack cloth.
Use your disposable rags and wet them with mineral spirits to clean the remaining product off of your table. I wasn’t interested in taking the table down to absolute bare wood, so I just used a high grit sandpaper (220) to prepare the table for staining. If you want to sand the table properly, start with a coarser grit sandpaper (lower number) and work your way up to a finer grit (higher number) sandpaper. Do you remember how badly damaged the leg of the table was from all of those puppy teeth marks? I was able to fix the leg just by removing the poly & stain and lightly sanding it! The leg looks perfect now with no visible blemishes.
Step 5: Paint on stain and then remove with a clean rag.
Stain is not paint. Stain penetrates into the wood and is meant to be wiped off after application. You simply apply it with a paintbrush and then wipe it off with a clean rag. The amount of time you allow the stain to remain on the wood can affect the richness of color. I like to use disposable foam brushes to paint on my stain. For this table, I used Minwax Classic Gray to tone down the wood and match our Singleton Accent Kitchen Chairs from Raymour & Flanigan. The stain ended up being absolutely perfect for the look I was going for!
Step 6: Sand with 220 sanding block, clean with tack cloth, and coat table with polyurethane.
Repeat this step several times and follow the directions on the packaging for dry times! I recommend applying between 4-5 coats of poly on a tabletop that will be receiving a lot of wear and tear.
On my table, I used Minwax Matte Polycrylic to give the table protection without altering the gorgeous color or flat sheen. This was my first time using a matte finish, and I love the way it looks!
Let’s revisit how far this table has come!
You might be wondering where my new gorgeous chairs are from! I received the Singleton Accent Kitchen Chairs online from Raymour & Flanigan to review as part of the Raymour & Flanigan Influencer Program. If you’re not familiar with Raymour & Flanigan, they are a furniture and home goods store with showrooms throughout the Northeast United States. They also offer online delivery to most zip codes in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. As well as parts of Washington D.C., Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. If you live on the East Coast, you need to check out their furniture and home accessories!
I was worried about stains on the beautiful upholstery, so upon arrival I scotchgarded every chair with several coats of scotchgard. We’ve used the chairs for a few months now and so far so good! I plan on reapplying the scotchgard every 6 months or so as a protective measure. Our previous chairs were okay; however, they were not comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. My husband disliked our previous chairs and requested that I find some replacements. We use this little kitchen nook so heavily and these comfy Singleton Accent Kitchen Chairs have made a big difference in the look and feel of the space! I’m thrilled with how beautiful and comfy everything looks now.
Room Sources
Curtains: Gray Buffalo Check Fabric
Rug: Maui Jute Braided Rug 8′ Round in Natural by RugsUSA
Chairs: Singleton Accent Chairs by Raymour & Flanigan
Thank you Raymour & Flanigan for allowing me to review your Singleton Accent Chairs for this post! All words and opinions are my own. If you liked this post, be sure to check out the related posts below for more tips on furniture refinishing.
Roger Middleton says
My family has an old dining table that has been passed around as an heirloom for a while now. I liked that you had mentioned that you could lightly sand out any imperfections to help erase them and have it look perfect. I might have to talk with my siblings, but I think I’ll have a professional come our her and handle the sanding of our table to make sure it is done correctly and still looks great.
Marie Hunter says
Did you use sponge brush or bristle I did this once and used bristle could see the lines
Beth says
If you’re worried about brushstroke lines, then using a sponge brush is a great option. In the past, I’ve used a foam roller to roll on poly with great success. I believe I used a normal paint brush for this application and because the sheen was matte there were not any visible brushstrokes. Use the brush-on method that you think will work best for your project.
Melanie says
Did you spray on the polycrylic or brush it on?
Beth says
I brushed on several coats allowing each coat to dry completely before adding another coat. I think I did 4 coats total.
Jeanine says
Thanks for sharing! I’m going to try it. In the tutorial you say matte polycrylic but your link is a satin. Which did you use?
Beth says
Thanks for catching that Jeanine. I used a matte finish, but it’s completely a matter of preference.
Andrea says
Hi Beth
I’m just wondering if you think this method would be good to use on an oak table. It is presently stained dark. Thanks. Love your work.
Beth says
Hi Andrea,
Stain takes differently to different types of wood, but I think it would look lovely on an oak table. That being said, I’m comfortable with taking risks whenever I tackle a do-it-yourself project and know that I might “ruin” a piece with my ideas. But I’m also confident in my ability to fix something if it doesn’t go according to plan. I only recommend that others try my techniques if they are willing to assume similar risks. Good luck with your table and let me know how it turns out.
Beth
Meagan says
I love this look for your new table including the chairs! The chairs look to be of great quality and I am curious to know how do you like them so far?
Beth says
I love them. I did make sure to use Scotchgard on all of the chairs before using, and I think that has helped keep the fabric looking fresh. They look perfect in spite of heavy use from little boys and a few spills. They are sturdy, sit comfortably, and look great! I highly recommend them.
Leslie says
Hi Beth,
I just found a table exactly like this for free (today actually & my husband just got it home). What would be the difference between stripping the table and just sanding it down with a sander & then staining? I’m all new to this! I think i want to stain the top and paint the legs.
Beth says
Congrats on your find! It really depends on the look you’re going for and the finish that is already on your table. If the table has a really thick and chipped finish, using a chemical stripper will help you cut through all of that to reveal the wood. However, any chemical stripper I’ve used has never gotten down to bare wood. I’ve always had to sand in addition to the stripper. Also, sanding to reveal bare wood is a ton of work and you need an oscillating (not just vibrating) sander. If you paint the base of your table, you don’t need to strip that section. You can start with your sander and see if you’re able to reveal the bare wood easily. For my table, I really liked the color once stripped and just coated it with a gray stain to tone down the red tones. I didn’t have to get down to bare wood to achieve the look I wanted.
Jen Panguluri says
I just bought a chair at a thrift store that is wood and leather. I had decided to refinish the wood, instead of painting, but haven’t done this before. The info in your post is just what I need. Thanks! Your dining table looks great and your dining room so inviting.
Beth says
Thanks Jen! I’m glad you found it helpful. 🙂
Melisa Lissa says
Beautiful job Beth! The table turned out beautiful! Thanks for sharing this.
Beth says
Thank you Melisa!
Marcia says
Great! Thanks a lot! kisses ML
Beverly says
The table turned out beautiful! I would like to do this with my kitchen table. Can you tell me what type of wood your table is? Mine is acacia wood. Thank you so much.
Beth says
Thank you! I honestly don’t know what kind of wood it is. The table is from Malaysia so it could be acacia or some other type of Malaysian wood that I’m not familiar with.
valarie says
How did you know this was exactly what i was needing to know!? You rocked it girl, thanks!
Beth says
Thank you! I’d love to see your finished product!
Peta Graham says
Thank you for your post. I’m about to do this and have been holding back because…well….I didn’t know enough to do it properly. I also have a question I will be moving into a smaller residence and I have a round table that is way to large for my new residence. I have another table top that is approximately 38″ across. Is that the size of this table. Id so I could use what I have. Thanks for any help.
Beth says
I’m not able to measure the table at the moment but if I recall correctly it’s around 42 inches across.
Wendy says
Beautiful job Beth! This really brought back a LOT of memories as I did a ton of refinishing back in the day! Such a wonderful sense of satisfaction to see the beautiful finished product! I think that God does a lot of that in our own lives before the life is really “finished”. !
Beth says
Thank you!