Refinish Dining Table and Chairs in Farmhouse Style

I finally decided to tackle my dining room table and chairs renovation after putting it off for a year. Honestly, I just wasn’t sure how I wanted to go about it because the table and chairs had so many layers of polyurethane on them from the previous owner that it would take me years to sand it all off! So I decided that I would sand the tabletop but not the chairs.

To refinish the chairs, I used a combination of Valspar white primer and stain to create a weathered look that complimented the farmhouse table. This project start to finish took 3 days to complete – working about 8 hours/day. (The table is 96 inches long and there are 6 chairs.) I’m not sure I’d choose to do it that quickly again; however, at the time, I had company arriving in 3 days so that table had to be ready! Lol nothing like a little pressure as added motivation.

---

Materials Used:

• Varathane 307415 Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain, 1/2 Pint, Briarsmoke
• Minwax 134074444 Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, 1/2 Pint (Optional)
• Valspar Professional Stain Block/Bonding Primer
• Rust-Oleum Oil Polyurethane 1-Quart Satin Finish
• US Art Supply Foam Brushes
• Purdy 140853100 XL Brush 3 Pack

• Universal 4528 Non-Toxic Disposable Dust & Filter Safety Masks (50 Count Box)
• Belt Sander
• Assorted Sandpaper
• KRUD KUTTER PC32 Prepaint Cleaner/TSP Substitute, 32-Ounce
• Rags

These are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the product for your own project, I earn a small percentage of the sale. Using the link does not, in any way, cost you anything (no mark-up, etc). It simply helps me to pay for this website and continue providing free how-to articles. I want to stress that I ONLY include links for products I have actually used and recommend. 

---

Process:

1. Disassemble/Sand: If possible, remove tabletop from base. Using belt sander and 80 grit sandpaper, sand tabletop down to bare wood. Always work in the direction of the grain. Try to do the edges as best as possible but it can look “rough” since we are going for a farmhouse look. Then, use 120 and 240 sandpaper to smooth. (I recommend doing this outside or in a garage.) Don’t forget your dust mask!

   

2. Stain: Clean table with a damp rag to remove dust and lift wood grain. (You may choose to use Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner for a more even stain application. I did not use it for this project.) Apply briarsmoke stain using foam brush and wipe off with rags. Again, always work in the direction of the grain.  The briarsmoke stain is a bit tricky…if you apply too much or do not wipe off fairly quickly, it can resemble paint and have a bluish hue. I found that working in small sections and applying a very thin layer of stain worked best. After entire tabletop is complete, let dry. (Remember to sand and stain the table leaf as well, if applicable. When staining and applying polyurethane, do not have leaf attached to table or it may seal shut. I chose to paint the skirt area under the tabletop with the white Valspar primer instead of staining it.)

   

3. Chairs/Table Base: Clean the table base and chairs thoroughly with the Krud Kutter to remove dirt, oils, etc. Apply one coat of Valspar white primer to the table base and chairs. I wanted the look to be rustic so I didn’t worry about getting the primer into every crack and crevice. After drying (about 4 hours), I applied another coat to the table base but left the chairs with just one coat. On the chairs (but not table base), I used a foam brush to lightly brush on strokes of the briarsmoke stain and quickly rub off using a rag. I applied it to the backs, spindles, and legs of the chairs but skipped the seat which was left just white from the primer. (You may want to apply a second coat of primer to the seat of the chairs depending on how “white” you want it to be.) The stain on top of the primer will create a very unique gray/gold (almost taupe) color.

   

   

   

4. Finish: After the tabletop, base, and chairs have dried completely, apply at least 3-5 coats of finish with a quality brush (I always use Purdy) to everything. I chose the Rust-Oleum oil-based polyurethane because our table gets a ton of use and I wanted to make sure it would be super durable. Be sure to gently sand between each coat with 240 grit sandpaper. Do not sand final coat.

   

   

Shop This Look in Our Decor Shop: