Tuesday 2 August 2016

Harvest Table Makeover

Hello again! We've been very busy with our 'rustic farmhouse' restoration. In the meantime, every day LIFE and the TO-DO LIST still need attention. A few of us took turns sanding our pine harvest table top. Those pine boards were given to us by my Father in law and are well over 100 years old. About 10 years ago we had a table made from them, the boards were 8 feet long but we had to shave off a couple inches to square them up. And before anyone cringes at the thought of all that patina being sanded off, it really did need it! It had YEARS worth of slopping, drooling, eating, drinking, colouring (with permanent markers), being used as a catch all, spilling glue & glitter, grapejuice....you name it!

 And no all that stuff couldn't just be washed off, it also had a layer of stain and varnish worn off in some spots and not in others. It's like going to the hair dressers and saying "I only want a half inch cut off" and she replies "Yes I understand that ma'am, but you NEED about 3 inches cut off to remove all these dead ends!" and I may or may not be speaking from personal experience. I did't want to sand it completely flat, it has always had dings and chips and cracks and holes which gives it character and I don't want to remove that BUT I do want to give it a new look. A makeover.
Right now it is raw with a little stain and varnish and unrecognizable things left in the cracks and dents, the low spots. So I need to find a product that will get in there and gently wash it away. I will then need to FINISH it! I recently made facebook and instagram posts regarding this and I have had many suggestions and I am leaning towards WAX as it is more natural and let's face it one of the oldest ways of protecting furniture! I have seen some great photos on pinterest of tables coated with lime wax which adds some white in the crevices. I see that there are also colored waxes as well, which only confuses me more. I am also concerned about water marks being left behind.  Maybe some newer waxes don't leave water marks??
 Here is a photo of the table with it's warmer finish. OH! I just love this photo by Robin Stubbert for Prairie Style magazine. Oh what great memories on that farm! We are still living in the country on a parcel of land just shy of an acre. Just enough for the kids, dogs and eventually chickens to run around and I have plans for another nice garden and fire pit! Can't wait to make more great memories at our new place! I would LOVE to hear about your personal experience  with table top finishes and always open to suggestions! Thanks!
~Mel

14 comments:

  1. A brush sander would help to get into the cracks and crevices to clean out the dirt etc. This does not destroy the patina and is used on Barnwood Builders to clean the old boards they use. I would use this method before using a cleaning product. Just a thought. The table will be lovely however you choose to finish it.

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    1. That's a great idea thank you! I laid in bed last night thinking I should darken it up a bit to add some warmth? Just not too sure yet what to do. lol

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  2. It is such a beautiful table with a lot of memories, whatever you do it will be perfect for you and your family.

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    1. Thank you! It's been bothering me I am not sure what to do with it. I think it may need a little warmth.? I will wait a little longer to see how I feel about it.

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  3. Tung Oil or clear Briwax would be my choice. I've used both for decades and I'm always happy with the results

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    1. Yes Thank you! I think the oil might add a bit more warmth than the wax, I'm still not sold on the paleness of it right now I will wait a little longer to see if I warm up to it! lol

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  4. I love your table and the pine boards - beautiful! What about gently using steel wool to get into the little grooves? I saw your feature in the magazine, it must have been quite exciting for you. Looking forward to seeing more posts, have a great week!

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    1. Hi Kelly YES I think I will get some steel wool and give a little scrub. I'd like to add some warmth without being too 'orangey'. so I have some more thinking to do. and it was a fun time for sure doing that shoot it was total chaos and SO many things I would change now if I could! lol I hope Robin finds a home for the interiors of that shoot! thanks! take care!

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    2. Hi Melanie, I hope your interior photos make it into another magazine, I would love to see them. I haven't thought too much about Instagram yet but maybe I need to put more thought into that. Thanks for the comments on my blog. I actually live north east of Owen Sound, Ontario so it looks like we're both fairly close to the Great Lakes. Take care also!

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  5. I would use Miss Mustard Seed's hemp oil. Natural and food safe. It leaves the perfect finish and easy to apply.
    Blessings

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    1. Oooh I still haven't decided! Lol I am concerned about the wear n tear from the family. I would love to keep more natural but I may need a protective coating? Thanks for your suggestion!!

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  6. It is a beautiful table Mel, full of memories from the past and new ones yet to be made.
    The trouble with oil is it can discolour over time. And because you want some contrast between the table top and the floor you should experiment first.I'm assuming the underside is the original natural colour? Simply flip it and make sections to try different oils, waxes etc. I've been at this a long time ( I'm the one that works for the auctioneer) and I have always used Antiquax an English original wax. It has a soft fragrance, comes in a blue tin and is a true paste wax.(Keep the kitties and the kids away while using it but once it is dry its not toxic.)
    I know it all sounds like a lot of work but you only get one kick at the can so to speak so you best like what you're using.
    Susan

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    1. Oh this has been hard! I still haven't decided! Yes I do want some contrast so thank you for bringing that up it makes me think it needs to be a little darker now. I think. Lol

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  7. I don't have any tips for cleaning the table, but I do want to say it's lovely!

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