Federal Style Coffee Table

I love old, vintage coffee tables.  There is something about their craftsmanship that you rarely see today.  They are usually solid wood, gorgeously detailed and beautifully carved.This table that I found at the thrift store fit that bill.

Although it was a little banged up and dated looking, it was still in fantastic shape for it’s age.  I love it’s details and stately legs and knew a little paint and stain would do wonders to transform it into a modern table.I wanted to preserve the beautiful wood grain on the table top so decided to sand it down and re-stain it.

The stain on vintage tables tends to be pretty scratched up when you find them.  Sanding and re-staining is a great way to preserve the lovely wood grain that is usually underneath.Once sanded, I applied two coats of General Finishes Java Gel Stain with a foam brush leaving 24 hours between each coat.

Once the stain was fully dry, I applied four coats of the General Finishes Gel Topcoat.  Again, leaving 12 – 24 hours between each coat to allow them to fully dry.  The top coat provides a lovely finish that isn’t too shiny or matte and protects the stain.I wanted to keep the table classic and elegant to match it’s Federal style so chose Country Chic’s Furniture and Home Decor paint in Vanilla Frosting for the base.

Vanilla Frosting is a creamy, slightly off-white that really did justice to the curves and carvings of the table.To seal and protect the paint, and add a subtle iridescent sheen, I finished the table off with two coats of their Pearl Wax.I picked up this table for next to nothing and am so glad I didn’t pass it up.   The same quality would be hard to find today without paying a ton of money.  Just one of the reasons I will always choose vintage over new when I can.