The Coffee Table Project

Before: Pine and Unfinished

It's amazing what a little stain can do on a cheap Ikea table.

But first, the background: Right around Christmas, Mom took matters in her own hands and bought us a coffee table from consignment shop -- mostly because she was tired of us not having one. We'd been stymied by the choices, the height and price. (See here)

We like the table (really, we do, Mom) but it's too short, the wrong wood grain and not the right size.

Finished Table

So we found this table at Ikea and I felt pretty confident I could match the color of our entertainment unit.

Here's what I learned on this staining project:

• The two-in-one stain-and-poly is awesome. I was glad not to do have to do the coats of poly. 
• I tried using the recommended pre-stain again -- I really don't see the point. The wood just feels greasy.  
• Don't be so conservative with the stain. The first two coats were too thin. By the third, I was slathering the stain on with a rag and it finally got the rich color I was looking for.
• The fumes WILL get to you, so do it somewhere with good ventilation and set up a fan.  

I'm just glad to have this one complete. There's still so many more projects on my Summer To Do list.