The sign that hung outside the store...

The sign that hung outside the store...
All Things Vintage, Re-purposed, Junked and Treasured!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Paint or Stain?

I sure hope all of you folks on the East Coast and in the Midwest are keeping safe, after Sandy. Prayers sent your way for sure.

Remember AJ's fabulous G-Sale? 

Almost everything was a dollar, even chairs. 
I did buy two tables, and paid $5.00 for each table.  AJ was even offered $20.00 for the oak one before I picked it up...and said no it is sold for $5.00.  

We have 5 acres of horse property, and have a large shop/garage that is perfect for working on projects. If I kept the projects up at the house, well I don't think my husband would be as forgiving for all the things I haul home!

 The pictures show them as they looked when they came home, poor dirty tables.



OK, heres my question, on the above table should I paint the whole table ( it does have a solid butcher block top).  Or I could stain the top...and paint the rest? I am thinking of Annie Sloan Old White. It would look nice either way I think.





This oak table has a story.

AJ's wife Linda told me the story about this oak table. It was her Grandma Cavellini's kitchen table, and then Linda's mother had it, and then Linda.

 Well, Linda is my age ( in her 60's), so....this is easily a 100 plus year old table. 
She said she remembered as a little girl her grandma taking two days to make the best spaghetti sauce, and all the prep work was done on this table. She remembers many dinners at this little oak table as a child.

When Linda and AJ moved from California to the Seattle area 16 years ago, the table was stored in their shop garage and was not used, and after all those years...this is it.

Of course after hearing the story, I felt like it was up to me to bring purpose back to Grandma Cavellini's old oak table.

My first thought was to paint all of it with chalk paint... but then I thought maybe I should totally strip it and  stain it.
                                                                                          
          



 I am leaning towards staining the top, and painting the rest of it. I have already sanded the top of the table. I am ready to go, once I decide where I am going!

Now this is where you all come in, I need suggestions... paint, don't paint, colors...distress, don't distress? 

I think I will keep it for myself, which means one of my own tables will have to go... I can live with that.

So I really would like some idea's tossed my way, what do you think? If it was yours what would you do?



I also want to throw in a cute little guy that came home from the G-Sale, Why? 
Well, because my husband has used the term "when pigs fly" many times over the years. I had to have the little flying piggy to show him, yes, pigs do fly... 




Happy Halloween!!

9 comments:

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Hi Jan,
You have found two great tables. The first one I would probably paint ASCP all over. The second one I would leave the top and stain it and paint the bottom. But I'm sure that whatever you do both will look great!

hugs
Sissie

Canadian Chickadee said...

Can't decide what I'd like better if the tables you are working on were mine, but was so intrigued by your blog site. I've just been reading several back entries.

How funny to stumble across your blog site through that of Scriptor Senex in Cheshire, England -- especially since I live just down the road a piece from Snohomish -- Kirkland! It really is a small world. In fact, as a long-time antique collector (read that, as scrounge!) I probably visited your mother's shop, the Pink Geranium in Issaquah, in years past. I love antique and second-hand stores, and have been thinking of making a trip to go antiquing soon. Maybe today would be a good day for it. Somehow, the rain just adds to the fun!

This may have been my first visit to your site, but I'm planning to visit it again soon.

Unknown said...

Someone just gave me a table almost like the 2nd one, and I'm debating the same thing, although I don't think mine is that old. I know I would love it, any of the 3 ways. I'm now a follower so I can check back and see what you do with it! Sorry I'm no help at all...

Prairie Scraps said...

I'm leaning towards the staining tops and painting the bottom. Love this look and will eventually get around to trying it on my own rummage sale finds! I get caught up in the stories of my furniture and find it hard to paint. I need to get over that!

Peggy Meckling-Baker said...

Don't paint the butcher block. To me that's a waste of a surface that looks better the more beat up it gets. And if it's butcher block, you can beat the crap out of it and it will still look awesome. I would paint and distress the second table entirely because with a center pedestal, you won't see enough of the paint color if it's just on the pedestal. Just found you through PRIMP MY STUFF WEDNESDAY. I'm your newest follower. I'm hoping you'll follow back at www.crazythriftycrafts.blogspot.com. Thanks for sharing!

Pamela said...

I say stain both the tops. More work but a lot of wow when you are done! Great pieces! Thanx for haring at THT.http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2012/10/treasure-hunt-thursday-80-highlights.html

Unknown said...

Stain the top - and " cream " the rest! Please Please Please lol !!!
Definitely your newest follower - HAVE to see the end result :)
Would love to have you come by and follow back when you have the time
Big hugs,
Suzan

Liz @ Quirky Vistas said...

See, I'd buck the trend and say paint the top one color and the base in the cream or white. But maybe I'm just a contrarian...ha! I think it'll be great no matter what you do, but if you start by leaving all or part wood, it will be perfectly easy to paint over that later if you decide you want a change. It's undoing a painted finish that would be hard work later.
Liz

Liz @ Quirky Vistas said...

Forgot to mention I'm your newest follower. Hope you'll stop back by and follow as well if you like!
Liz