Rustic Farmhouse End Table Makeover
Here’s another one of these fun furniture makeover ideas! This is a rustic farmhouse end table makeover with this vintage French provincial round piece. It’s wooden and pretty scratched and beat up, and while it still looks pretty good in the pictures, in real life, it definitely needed some love.
So, if you have a similar piece you want to update or just looking for some inspiration for your DIY projects, keep reading for the step by step process!
So this end table was scratched and worn, and it needed an update. It was a cheap piece for like $10, which is so much cheaper than buying a brand new one. This old piece is solid wood, and compare that to a $75 or $100 piece that you buy today, which is not solid wood.
This is why I paint and update furniture, because you can find a cheap piece and make it look however you want for a fraction of the cost. You can change it to a bold and bright color, or keep it classic and natural.
This time, we’ll go simple and rustic with a white end table with a stained top. This two tone look is very popular and perfect for this rustic farmhouse end table makeover. So when you’re ready, let’s get started!
Supplies Used for Rustic Farmhouse End Table Makeover
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- Krud Kutter
- 220 Grit Sandpaper
- Clear Shellac
- Behr Latex Paint
- Calcium Carbonate Powder
- Paint Sprayer
- Shop Vac
- Tack Cloth
- English Tea Party from Lowes
- Sahara Desert from Home Depot
- Suede Gray from Home Depot
- Black from Home Depot
- Brush
- Waterbased Polyurethane
How to Prep for Furniture Makeover
This piece didn’t have any hardware, so I didn’t have to remove any. I started by cleaning everything with Krud Kutter and then lightly scuff sanding the surface to help the paint stick. Here’s a more detailed guide on how to clean furniture before painting, and here’s sanding for paint prep for more on what sandpaper to use.
If you’re curious about what happens if you don’t sand before painting, this post should give you the answers you need! If you’re new to this step, then here’s sanding furniture for beginners to help you get started. Don’t forget to clean off any remaining dust when you are finished sanding. We like to use a shop vac for this and then wipe everything down with a tack cloth.
Once the surface was all scuff sanded and clean, I applied a coat of clear shellac spray to also help with adhesion and to block bleed through stains. You can learn more about how to stop stains from coming through paint using clear shellac in this post.
Paint End Table White
We mixed up our homemade chalk paint recipe using calcium carbonate powder and Behr latex paint. This is not tinted at all, but pure white. You can check out these other best chalk paint recipes for alternative ingredients you can use!
If you don’t want to make your own, we have a list of the best white chalk paint for furniture in this post.
I sprayed it on with my Wagner sprayer, but you can also brush or roll it on, whichever you choose. We have a list of the best paint brushes for painting furniture here, and the best rollers for painting furniture here if you’re more comfortable with these methods.
I used the Wagner Double Duty here, but it has been discontinued. You can check out the VONFORN sprayer instead – it’s one of the best paint sprayers for beginners and one of the best cheap paint sprayers that doesn’t compromise on quality. Learn all about it in my Vonforn paint sprayer review.
If you’re ready to invest in one, we also listed the best HVLP paint sprayers for furniture here and the best Wagner paint sprayers for furniture here. Using one might take a little practice, but it’ll definitely save you time and give you smoother, more professional results.
This project took about five coats. You have to remember: when you’re painting dark wood furniture and using a really light color like white, you’re going to need about five coats. If I were to use black or another dark color, it would only take about two coats.
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After the final coat dried, I lightly distressed the finish. I used 220 grit sandpaper to lightly sand the edges and details. Learn the best distressing furniture techniques here, including sanding! There are also more tips on how to distress chalk paint here. Then I cleaned up the dust with a vacuum and a tack cloth.
Faux Wood Top of Table
I didn’t want it to be just a plain white table, though. So, I added a farmhouse rustic look to the top of it! But is two-toned furniture in style? – Get some answers in this other project!
What I did was first add a layer of English Tea Party, which is a warm gray color. After that base coat was dry, I dry brushed Sahara Desert, Suede Gray, and Black – basically, I got a tiny bit of these colors onto my brush and went back and forth in the same direction, creating kind of wood grain lines.
I went back and forth, mixing and blending these colors on the top, just to create a faux wood rustic look. You can see this step in more detail in our guide on how to create a weathered wood gray finish here. This post on restoration hardware finish also shows more of this dry brushing technique.
Add a Topcoat
After that was done, I lightly sanded the end table with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out. Then I topcoated the whole thing with 3 coats of waterbased polyurethane. You can learn more about what the best polyurethane for furniture is in this post.
Here’s how to spray polyurethane, but if you’re still torn between spray polyurethane VS brush on polyurethane, check out our post to see a side by side comparison to help you decide which method is best for your project.
This transformation was such a fun and straightforward process! We started things off with some prep work, added several coats of a crisp white paint, and gave the top a unique rustic touch. Everything was sealed up in the end for a smooth, durable finish.
And here’s how the rustic farmhouse end table makeover turned out! It is so cute with this vintage French provincial style combined with the rustic vibe. For more inspiration for this look, here are rustic painted furniture ideas!
More Before and After Makeovers
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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.
Rustic Farmhouse End Table Makeover
Check out this white rustic farmhouse end table makeover, featuring a stained top for that charming and trendy two tone look.
Materials
Tools
Instructions
- Start by cleaning everything with Krud Kutter to remove dirt and grime. Then, lightly scuff sand the surface to help the paint stick.
- Apply a coat of clear shellac spray to help with adhesion and block bleedthrough stains. This step is important to stop stains from coming through the paint.
- Mix up homemade chalk paint using Behr latex paint, calcium carbonate powder, and water. Make sure to mix well until smooth and consistent.
- Spray the paint on with a sprayer, or brush or roll it on if you prefer. Be ready to apply about five coats of white paint to get complete coverage on dark wood.
- After the final coat dries, lightly distress the edges and details using 220 grit sandpaper. This step gives the table a rustic look that’s classic and natural.
- Add a farmhouse rustic look to the top by starting with a base coat of English Tea Party, a warm gray color. When that’s dry, dry brush Sahara Desert, Suede Gray, and Black in long strokes to mimic a wood grain effect.
- Go back and forth blending the base color with the other paint shades to create a weathered, rustic finish. Stop once you’re happy with the way everything looks.
- Lightly sand the tabletop again with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out. This step gets the surface ready for the protective topcoat.
- Use a waterbased polyurethane to seal the table and protect the finish. You can spray it on or brush it, depending on your preference.
- Now, you have a rustic farmhouse end table looks amazing with its two toned look and French provincial charm!
Recommended Products
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More Painted Furniture Makeovers
- Redoing End Tables
- Old Trunk Makeover – Bar Station
- Painting Wood End Tables
- MCM Step End Table Makeover
- How To Chalk Paint Nightstands
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