a side table

I had this table.

Actually, it wasn't quite so bad to begin with. But then, way back when (two years ago) when I was a bit ignorant about painting and staining furniture, I decided it needed to be darker and I put a coat of stain on it.

Just like that, right over the stain that was on it. I actually thought it was that easy (pathetic, I know).

As you can imagine, not having sanded it first, the stain didn't soak in. It merely coated the table making the table glossy and like something from the 80's (there's nothing wrong with the 80's).

Exhibit A:

A sad table, indeed. So I mustered up the courage to paint the little guy. The process was a bit more sophisticated the second time around.

Step one: A coat of white primer. Step two: two coats of creamy white paint. Step three: A thin coat of a brown gloss that was painted on and wiped off right away. Step four: A little sanding around the edges for a bit of a "distressed" look.

At first I wasn't sure if it looked fabulous or just a little bit dirty. But eventually I fell in love with the little side table.

Exhibit B:

I couldn't find a replacement knob that was price I was looking for (free), so I wrapped some jute around the existing one and voila. Oh, how I love jute.

And white. It's fresh, clean, classic, but not outdated. It's a love affair I have going on here, folks. I can still appreciate the beauty of natural wood, so I won't go on painting everything in my house white. But there is this hutch...