Anyone ever paint a kitchen table

[WendyisDarling]

Thinking of saving some money and painting a table so it will go with our kitchen instead of buying a new one.
I've painted other furniture, but nothing that would get this much use.
Is painting a table a good idea? (If we don't paint it we could get a 2 or 3 hundred on craigslist, I'm sure). Have you had a lot of chipping? What did you do for the top of the table? This is a table that would be used everyday.
TIA for any suggestions.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Have you considered painting the legs and leaving the top wood? Our friends have a table like this and it looks nice. The chair also match the legs. They have a few chips after many years. Use good primer and sanding first and the finish will be great. Use either a foam brush or spray paint for the nicest finish.

 

[budbeerlady]

I only paint when the piece is damaged and salvagable with a good coat of white paint. If you can get $200-300 I would sell it, buy a older table to paint at a garage sale, good will or even Craigs list for $20-40.

 

[kid-at-heart]

I painted our kitchen table several years ago. Looks great even now. I used a high gloss (enamel) paint. However, it did take several coats to get to the finish I wanted.

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

We painted our large table. We used a high gloss paint and then we used a clear polyurethane to protect it. Worked great.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I recently refinished our dining room table and chairs. It's oak on the top and I didn't touch that part, but the legs, arms and back on the chairs and table were awful and chipped. I sanded them all down and then painted them with an oil paint as it stands up much better than any type of latex. It looks great and didn't take any time. I also used the foam brushes, instead of a paint brush.

 

[WendyisDarling]

Have you considered painting the legs and leaving the top wood? Our friends have a table like this and it looks nice. The chair also match the legs. They have a few chips after many years. Use good primer and sanding first and the finish will be great. Use either a foam brush or spray paint for the nicest finish.

That is a good one to consider. I know they sell a lot of furniture with that look now.

 

[Irin997]

How about a stain instead of painting? They have white, black, and different color stains that resemble paint without the chipping. I will be refinishing a coffee table and staining it black to avoid chipping. Good luck!

 

[Darcy03231]

I painted an old wood table and tiled the top. It's really easy to do and its held up great. I sanded it all down, painted the legs white (with a high gloss enamel paint) and tiled the top with deep blue glossy tiles with white grout. I made the grout lines really thin. I have mis-matched wooden chairs that I painted the same white as the table legs and put blue & white cushions on them. My total cost for the table and 6 chairs was less than $70 (I bought them at yard sales). As I recall the cost of the paint, tiles and grout was about another $40-50.

 

[WendyisDarling]

thanks to all...I'm getting some great ideas

 

[Irin997]

I painted an old wood table and tiled the top. It's really easy to do and its held up great. I sanded it all down, painted the legs white (with a high gloss enamel paint) and tiled the top with deep blue glossy tiles with white grout. I made the grout lines really thin. I have mis-matched wooden chairs that I painted the same white as the table legs and put blue & white cushions on them. My total cost for the table and 6 chairs was less than $70 (I bought them at yard sales). As I recall the cost of the paint, tiles and grout was about another $40-50.

You are so creative!! AND thrifty!

 

[grlpwrd]

We used to have a huge oak table that I got from the thrift store.

I sanded it and painted it with a food safe/non toxic/low odor stain (several times) and then with food safe/non toxic/low odor polyurethane because I was concerned about chemicals/solvents leeching into our food.

You could use Milk Paint if you wanted to... it's very safe: www.milkpaint.com and other sources. I ordered mine from a website which I can't recall right now (ugh), but here is a list for non toxic paint supplies and other info: http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm

Here's a helpful link for how to refinish a table:

http://www.ronhazelton.com/howto/Kitchen-table-restoration.htm

 

[rhonhod]

I let my girls paint a round kitchen table I was going to throw away.( 2 of the chairs had broken.) Anyways the girls painted it white and with the purple paint they wrote their names and the date on the table and on the seats they put their names and hand prints and the date. When I say my girls it's my DD and her best friend for 11 years now. They have it outside on the deck, that's where all the kids hang in the summer so it's handy. ( they used left over paint from doing our bathrooms, white and a lilac purple)

 

[flying_babyb]

My roomate and i painted a cuddy wooden table. we used a quart of paint from walmart then used stencil paint for details. We then took Outdoor patio sealer and sealed it. So far its going strong and has been used (abused?) by two college students and there freinds. Holding up well. No flaking or chipping.

 

[62tall]

I have been very pleased. I had the beech and white farmhouse table from the 90's and the 6 chairs. I wanted black.. I cleaned everything with ammonia and then started painting. I used the high gloss black paint that is already pretinted. I have not covered it with glass. It has been this way for 4 years and last summer I just repainted the top and did a touch up on the chairs. I love it and so does any one who sees it.

 

[englishteacha]

If you can sell it for $300-400, I'd sell it and buy something cheap to paint! I'm so cheap, though, I'd just throw a tablecloth on it!