Sometimes all a dining set needs is a simple refresh. This table had served my client’s family for years and was still in excellent structural condition. It just needed a little cosmetic refinishing.
The client has a lot of wood in her kitchen, so after discussing options, we decided on painting the chairs, table legs and table apron distressed matte black. The table top matched the rest of the wood in her kitchen, so we decided that refinishing it in a similar tone would maintain that visual consistency.
I started by stripping the table to bare wood and restaining it in Minwax Red Chestnut. 
The warm red tones closely resembled the original finish. I sealed it with several coats of Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in a satin finish. I removed the rush seats and painted the chairs, table legs and table skirt in matte black, distressing them lightly to allow the original finish to show through. The painted surfaces were sealed with Minwax Polycrylic in a matte finish.
The finished table adds contrast to the kitchen with the matte black finish, while the tabletop blends beautifully with the surrounding wood. This refreshed dining table will serve her family for many years to come!
