Dark Walnut Stained Entry Table, The Easy Cheater Method

Dark Walnut Stained Entry Table, The Easy Cheater Method

Learn how to use a Dark Walnut Stain on a gorgeous Entry Table, and get the easy Cheater Method!

I have a very severe form of ADDD. Attention Deficit Decorating Disorder. We have plenty of the real ADD/ADHD in my home. This is a real disorder. I just finally gave it a medical name. I picked a room to FINISH (hello where are my stairs now???? Coming later). My Entry and Living Room area. And I am getting it DONE. Here is some of the proof, with plenty of posts to follow. Meet my Dark Walnut Stained Entry Table.

The table has sat in our entry area, greeting everyone that graced our home for 10 years. When she first moved in, she greeted everyone with a cheery “Hello”. The last few years, she has gone from a quiet “hi” to a grumble. It was time for a makeover.

Stripper. I used Zinnser magic strip. It is always back ordered on Amazon. No one around me sells it. If you can find it your area, consider yourself lucky. This product puts all the other clean strippers (clean strippers????) to shame. (pun intended).

Now for the How To, The GTC Way. After the existing paint was free and clear, I gave the table a thorough sanding. For a very smooth finish, do your last sand with the highest grit sandpaper you can find. Then use a tack cloth to get every last piece of dust removed. Then I used a product called “Wood Conditioner”. You can purchase it at the stain department. It is quick and easy to apply and will help the wood accept the stain. Even with all these tips, sometimes there are areas that don’t accept the stain as well. They have issues. I have a cheater, workaround solution for this.

Wait until the Dark Walnut Stain is completely dry. Here is where you can use the cheater method. Use a very SMALL amount of Modern Masters colorant that is similar to the stain you used. I used Coffee Bean. Very lightly brush it onto the areas where the stain did not take. I like to take it a little further and darken some of the edges where over time, it would naturally be darker. This is a great trick with stains. Sometimes you will get patches where the stain will not be absorbed as evenly in wood. By the way, my career as a hand model was total fail. I could never understand why.

After all my hard work, I didn’t want anything to mar the gorgeous finish my table was now sporting. I used CeCe Caldwell’s Endurance. This stuff is amazing. It is a clear coat, non-yellowing Polyurethane that can be easily wiped on with a rag, staining rag, or applied with a brush. It is almost zero VOC. I am sensitive to chemical smells, and there is practically no smell. I applied three coats. When the last coat is dry. Use the non inked side of a grocery bag to burnish it and completely smooth the finish. Super easy, free trick that the sand paper company doesn’ t want you to know about.

Now the table is back in her glory. What a difference the Dark Walnut Stain made on my Entry Table! And no one will know that you used a little bit of a cheater method with it! She even has a different mirror to show off her new grown up look.

My table is greeting people at these lovely parties:

Original article and pictures take www.redouxinteriors.com site