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A Little Bit of Sanity and A Lot of Chaos: I hate this table...But I love this table!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

I hate this table...But I love this table!

We got a new table.
A new to us table.
I'm so angry about this table, I might just drop the f-bomb. Right now. But I will refrain for my non-swearing readers and my kids when they eventually read this.

The table we had was from Tom's grandma.
It was a cast off.
She was going to donate it.
We didn't have a dining room table, so we took it.
It's lasted us nearly 8 years.
It's ready to fall apart. It's frail and fragile and sticky.
Just like me. Poor me, frail and fragile and sticky.

Enter the new table.
We don't have a formal dining room. Well, we do, but it's being used as a craft/storage/play room.
Our kitchen dining room is not large. In fact, it's awkward and funny.
Kind of like me. Poor me, awkward and funny.

I wanted a round table.
I wanted this table:
 
Photo Courtesy of Crate and Barrel, Avalon Extension Dining Table, $499.

Now, before you get all, "be happy for what you have, at least you have a table...." I know that I should be happy for what I have. I've said this before, I am so thankful for my life and family and what I have, blah, blah, blah...So, onward with the whining and complaining and swearing.

I found a table. In fact, I found a Crate and Barrel table. (There were stickers underneath in several spots for me to know) For $24.99. At GW! Hooray! I can't begin to explain how excited I was to score this table:



They painted that beautiful white table. Brown. It was sticky and gross and I was determined to fix it. I thought I could save it. So, I gathered my materials:


Chocolate covered cashew clusters, of the Amish kind, orange smelling stripping gel, scrapers, a brush and of course, DC.
I started with the leaf to see how it would work.
Apply, and wait....

  
Lots of bubbles....then scrape....


And apply more and scrape. It was starting to look good. Except that I realized I was going to have to paint it anyway because the previous paint had stained the white. So I decided to just sand the rest of the table.

I sanded and then used my Kilz to prime.
Then painted in semi-gloss white. 
This is where it all goes to crap. The white looked great! I was so happy. 
Then I did it. I used polyurathane. Gasp! I knew I shouldn't have done this. 
But, I was going on the advice of the HD guy. He said he used it and it turned out great. 
I should NOT have done it. There are two types of coating you can use. Polyurathane and Polycrylic. I used the polyurathane. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. I've known this to be the case, but I thought I would try it.
But first.
When I was putting the table back together I ran out of battery in the drill. We have two batteries, no biggie, I thought. But guess what! When the second battery is sitting in the charger and the charger is unplugged...
So I used my small drill, that stripped the screws...not all but one, and that one did not get screwed. At all.


Here's what a drill bit looks like after it has stripped a screw:


Cool. Not.
Oh, and the leaf that I stripped and sanded and primed and painted and applied poly. It's sticky. And ugly...
So, here's my new white yellow table sitting in our kitchen.
 
  
Of course, the yellow is hard to see in pictures. But trust me, it looks like the boys stood on the chairs and peed all over the table....

As soon as I stop swearing, take a couple deep breaths and compose myself I will redo it, because I love this table. I do.

It may take a few days...

I couldn't stand it and redid it. I sanded the top and got out my trusty old Behr Black Suede and got to work. Although I'm still not altogether happy, but it is much better than pee yellow. I would rather spray paint it, but I have to wait until it warms up a little, then I can work in the garage.

 
See them? All those lines. It is so frustrating!



It really is a great table. Now I just need to re-do it. Later. Warmer. If I can stand to wait that long...

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21 Comments:

Blogger mother of three fellas said...

What A score!! I wish we had a Goodwill like that!
I love your blog by the way too!
Have a great day

February 3, 2010 at 6:39 AM  
Blogger Ruby Red Slippers said...

Oh MY-I have the SAME table by Pottery Barn-and I HATE it-Love the shape, love how big it is, don't love that it is made of pine...
I have bee SO afraid of painting it-You have given me hope that it MAY be possible-what kind of paint did you use? Mine is white-dented, scratched up bad!
GREAT job!!!! (Do you hire yourself out to Michigan??!!)

February 3, 2010 at 7:38 AM  
Blogger Ana @ Don't Fear the Ripper said...

Maybe you could decoupage a favorite fabric on the tabletop and add glass cut to size for protection? Just a suggestion... so you don't have to go through all that trouble again. :)

February 3, 2010 at 8:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great table.......now I am completely nervous to paint my end tables black. Oy vay.

I have no doubt you will figure a way to make it work because you are very creative and crafty!

February 3, 2010 at 8:40 AM  
Blogger One Cheap B*tch said...

I love that style table too. Sorry it's been a nightmare but your post made me chuckle if that's any consolation?

February 3, 2010 at 8:44 AM  
Blogger Blondie's Journal said...

I really think you want the perfect white table and once you get over the polyurethane accident, you will hop back to it. I appreciate learning not to use it though.

xoxo
Janie

February 3, 2010 at 8:47 AM  
Blogger Expressions by Heather said...

Oh, boy... Well, when it gets warmer, you'll have another go at it, with all the wisdom that comes from the pee-yellow mess up. Good luck!

February 3, 2010 at 8:57 AM  
Blogger Pink said...

Great table. You learn by your mistakes even the f-bomb frustrating ones....lol at least u can use it. I bought a beautiful cherry wood 4 poster bed on CL. sanded, painted and shabby chic'd it all up.. love it even more then as I was trying to cram my matress on it realized it's a freaking california king !! I never even measured it and just took the lady's word for it. sigh.. so I have a beautiful quenn anne bed in my garage that no one on CL wants to buy !!

February 3, 2010 at 10:53 AM  
Blogger Kirsty said...

Oh Rubes- I would love to come visit and help you out! We'd have it done in no time. Wisco isn't too far!

OCB - Glad I made you chuckle. That's my goal. To have people laugh at my expense! Ha. I laugh at it too. If you don't I'll just cry...

Blondie - I don't think I want the PERFECT white table. Just one without streaks on the top! But actually, I'm sitting here looking at it in the daylight and it's not terrible. Just not fabulous! But I still love the table, don't get me wrong!

Pink - sorry about the bed sittin' in your garage! That's a stinker.

February 3, 2010 at 12:28 PM  
Blogger gail@My Repurposed Life said...

so sorry for your problems... but with wood furniture, there is always a fix. Some fixes just take a llittle more elbow grease than others.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I have used both poly's and they each have their downsides. Some polyurethane does go on clear, and some goes on yellow. There is also a wipe on that a lot of people use.
keep your chin up!
gail

February 3, 2010 at 3:53 PM  
Blogger Kimberly Knoess said...

OMG! The exact same thing with the horrible pee-yellow just happened to me. I had just spent two days priming, waiting, painting, waiting, painting waiting....and then......polyurethane! It turned my beautiful creamy white paint job pee pee yellow! I stewed about it for a week, then I just painted right on top of the pee pee with more creamy white and believe it or not, it worked!
I feel a teensy bit better now - Thanks!

February 3, 2010 at 7:59 PM  
Blogger Rustique Gal said...

You all crack me up with pee yellow. I had an antique oak pedestal table that had been antiqued red. I covered it with off-white milk paint (OOPS)!
It immediately turned a mustard yellow and crackled everywhere, then it all fell off in pieces. I sold it. I really want another one that I can cut down to a coffee table. Dreamin on! Sherry

February 3, 2010 at 8:22 PM  
Blogger The House Creative said...

You are too funny! Love your style. :-) I have never heard anything bad about poly before, but now you have me curious. I am going to do some research on it now..How did you like the citrestrip stuff? I used it on my chair, and I hated it. It would not get the stuff off, I had to scrub it in, then practically claw it out. I think your table looks great with the current color, and I am sure it will look great white again when you are able to try again.

February 4, 2010 at 10:24 PM  
Blogger Kirsten and Tracy said...

I love your table and think it looks great in either black or white. I do woodworking and have used lots of polyurethane over bare wood and stained wood, but never over paint. All OIL-BASED poly will yellow over time. WATER-BASED poly will not yellow. If I'm going to use poly over a light colored bare wood, like maple, and want to maintain it's light, natural appearance, I will always use water-based. Give your white another try, but use water-based poly, no matter what the HD guy/girl says! (They don't always know what they are talking about!)

Tracy

February 5, 2010 at 12:25 PM  
Blogger Magic Brush said...

I am working on that exact table in my garage today to sell on Craigslist. I'm painting it black tho. Hope you get your where you want it!!!

February 5, 2010 at 1:35 PM  
Blogger Low Tide High Style said...

Oh my, that's too bad that you had that happen after all of your hard work, but the black does look wonderful! I'm sure your next attempt with the white paint will be successful!

Kat :)

February 5, 2010 at 4:13 PM  
Blogger Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic said...

I really did LOL over your post, my husband got very curious as to what I was laughing at. Even HE thought your description was a hoot!
Sorry about all the extra work you had, it sure does look like a great table, and black is my fav! Everything i've ever painted white I've ended up going back and painting black anyway. Just can't get into the white groove i guess....
Thanks for sharing your pain!
Rose

February 5, 2010 at 6:36 PM  
Blogger Allison Shops said...

Excellent find! Sorry you've had trouble getting it the way you want.

February 5, 2010 at 7:58 PM  
Blogger Kirsty said...

Glad you got a good laugh Rose! I laugh about it now, of course!

February 5, 2010 at 9:00 PM  
Blogger Miss Mustard Seed said...

I totally feel your pain! I bought my dream dresser and had to strip the top twice because I messed it up the first time...and I paint and sell furniture for a living. So, don't feel too bad. At least it was my piece and not a client's. Anyway, you found a wonderful piece of furniture at the end of the day, even if you have to paint it again. I would highly suggest that you rent an HVLP paint sprayer for when you repaint it. Polycrylic is great stuff, but it leaves wicked brush strokes that will have you cursing again. A sprayer will give it a totally smooth (non-yellowed) finish. Good luck!

February 6, 2010 at 8:46 PM  
Blogger Dreams of Perfection said...

Regardless of the paint you have a fabulous find!! Can't wait to see what it looks like when you re-do again.

February 18, 2010 at 10:04 PM  

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