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I found this antique library table at a consignment store a few weeks ago, and thought it was just the perfect piece. It’s so multi-functional, I’m not sure what to call it – desk? console table? library table? behind-the-couch table?

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Anyway, it’s a beautiful piece with great detail. I wanted this refinishing job to be colorful, but also keeping the beauty that is already there. So, a little furniture restoration is in order. I’m going to show you an easy way to freshen up a scratched, tired piece of furniture. It’s a great technique for a piece that you can’t imagine painting, and you don’t want to completely strip and re-stain it.

Paint it

First for the colorful part, I got a bold idea in my head and thought I’d go for it – General Finishes Holiday Red Milk Paint, is truly a beautiful perfect pop of red. I haven’t done a red piece in a few years, so this was fun to do something a bit different.

I wanted to keep the legs wood, so I taped the legs off and painted the top. Red takes many coats, so this was a good 3-4 coats before I got good coverage. No sanding between coats, just painting, letting dry and repeat.

Furniture Restoration

Once that was done, it was time to do some restoration on the legs. They were in great shape, just a few small scratches and could use a bit of shine.

I sanded the legs with 220 grit sandpaper, not to bare wood, just enough to sand out any scratches, and scuff up the existing finish a bit. (Pardon the manicure, clearly I’ve been working hard lately). I did this part by hand, and got into the grooves and details as much as I could.

When it’s good and scratched up, it will look like you ruined it. Press on.

Dust off the legs and clean them with a damp paper towel.

Now, here’s the magic. Using an old rag, apply a few drops of Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil to the rag and begin applying it to the legs. The hemp oil will soak in and rehydrate the wood and bring it back to life. Apply a good amount, and then wipe with a clean dry cloth to get any excess.

Let it dry overnight, and you may want to buff it a bit – but look, beautiful wood legs are back!

The wood makes the piece not too over the top and keeps the original patina and character in tact. I chose simple bronze knobs and distressed the top, details and drawer just a bit.

I dressed her up for fall with some adorable pumpkins and signs. These Pumpkin Patch signs will be available along with this red beauty at Kinsey Vintage Market next weekend!

What do you think, do you love the wood legs? Next time you have a piece that just needs a little love, try this restoration method and see if it does the trick.

I’m off to paint!

Jenni