When your dear mother-in-law asks you to paint some end tables she found on sale, you say, “Of course!”

These tables are actually very well made by one of the top furniture makers in the country. But the forest green color was so 90s. It was time to bring this gorgeous set into the 2020s.

She saw potential, and so did I. She originally wanted me to paint them brown to match the wood grain on the top, but I suggested that we look at some other colors that would compliment the wood. Besides, the wood top was mildly damaged and would need some fixing anyway. We settled on a gray, the same gray that I used in the Chifferobe and the Twin Beds project.

I lightly sanded each piece. I don’t always do this, but they had a very shiny finish that was original to the pieces. Distressed was the style back then, with much of the furniture having intentional pits and knicks in them. You could always fill those if you want, but I kept them. I gave the tops a moderate sanding as well, because they had deep grooves and scratches that didn’t come from the manufacturer.

Now it was time to repair any problems. As mentioned, the tops were in pretty poor shape, but not terrible. After sanding them, I wiped off the dust and filled in the scratches and deep grooves with a furniture marker. These markers usually come in different colors that coordinate with your furniture. There wasn’t a need to sand all the way down to remove the grooves because, thankfully, the tables already had that distressed look.

I used RePurpose’s Chroma-Color in Flannel Gray for the paint. I took out each drawer and used a small foam roller on the drawer fronts. I used my favorite Wooster 1 in. angled brush for the skeletons of the end tables, but for the sides and backs of the tables, I used the small foam roller again.

Wooster 1 in. angled brush

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The foam roller gives the paint a nice smooth finish without brush marks. I painted each table 3 times for good coverage over the outdated green.

Finish. What you put on your pieces once the color is administered matters. It’s what gives it that professional look and protects it from moves, water marks, the robot vacuum, and the occasional hard shoe.

With a sponge, I applied 3 coats of Gator Hide by Dixie Belle Paint for durability. It’s an easy-to-use clear coat product. If applying on a table top or any large areas, the trick is applying a moderate amount of product in one direction from side to side or top to bottom. On small areas, it really doesn’t matter. Just be careful that you don’t create any runs. Those runs will dry like that!

Gator Hide finishing clear coat

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We loaded up these gorgeous end tables into the truck and took them over to my husband’s parents. It was great to see them in their new, modernized space. What furniture makeover is looming at your place? Do you have any furniture you’re longing to flip?