Did you know white stain was even a thing? Beautiful friends, today I am sharing how we updated my sister’s kitchen set with paint and yep, white stain! It’s also Trash-to-Treasure Tuesday (my favorite!!) so be on the lookout for more awesome trashy makeovers at the bottom of this post from my friends!
Here is what her eat-in area in her kitchen looked like before:
I wish we had a picture of the true before. My sister actually painted all of the trim in here the week prior to painting her kitchen!
If you missed the BIG REVEAL of her very 80’s kitchen update, you can see that HERE. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
When I told you we were going to update this set, I wasn’t completely honest. I just didn’t love her very boxy, masculine table. The day I came to help her with her island, we took a break to go get lunch and across the street was a Habitat for Humanity Restore. I convinced her to stop in and see if there were any tables she might like that we could refinish and we were in luck!
They had this Ethan Allen beauty for only $69:
I don’t think she was totally convinced, but I also think she just wanted to finish the island first before taking on another project, so we left the table behind.
Fast forward to a week later, and she decided to stop back in the Restore and luckily, the table was still there! That time she didn’t leave without it!
I’ll show the after and then I’ll share how we did it!
First, here is what her eat-in area looks like now:
Did I mention that I might have been even more excited about this set than the actual kitchen makeover??
It looks SO good!!
These are her old chairs and they compliment the new table perfectly!
Okay so here is the magic sauce, Dixie Belle’s VooDoo gel Stain in White Magic:
I’ve had this sitting in my supply cabinet since it first came out last year, but I had yet to try it on anything. Then I saw this gorgeous stool that my dear friend and fellow Furniture Fixer Upper pal, Denise from Salvaged Inspirations, redid a couple of months ago using the same stain. I knew this would be a great solution for the border all around my sister’s kitchen island:
We loved it so much that we knew that was what we wanted to use on the table and chairs as well!
Sand the Table
To start this project, my sister sanded the entire surface with 150 grit sandpaper, followed by 220 grit sandpaper:
I prefer a rotary sander, but it was probably easier to get all those edges with her palm sander. I also shared how to remove stain without sanding in this old post.
I showed up after all the heavy sanding was done…how convenient ha ha!
Condition the Table
I gave the top a good coat of Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner:
This helps the wood to accept the stain more evenly.
Stain the Table
Then I applied Dixie Belle’s VooDoo Gel Stain with a soft clean cloth, going with the grain of the wood:
I had to be a bit more liberal in applying this stain compared to when I use the Up in Smoke Color. It dries super fast, so I followed up with another coat after about 15 minutes.
Seal the Table
About a half an hour later, I applied Dixie Belle’s Gator Hide to the top to seal using their blue sponge applicator:
I gave it two coats.
You can see how I apply sealer with a sponge in this video:
If you have trouble viewing, find it on YouTube HERE.
Paint the Base of the Table
My sister gave the table base three coats of Cotton, sanded with 220 grit sandpaper, and sealed that with the Gator Hide also using the blue sponge.
This was her first chalk-painting project and I’d say she did a fantastic job!!
The Gator Hide has a bit more of a sheen than the satin clear coat, but it is super durable:
The Chairs
For the chairs, I returned last week with my HomeRight sprayer to knock the job out quickly!
Here is a closer look at what they looked like before:
I was not a fan of these chairs at all!
We started by sanding all of the seats since we intended to stain those as well…
Then my sister realized that we could remove them so that’s what we did.
She got to work staining the seats in the same way we tackled the table, while I got started on spraying the chairs.
Spraying the Chairs
I set up my large HomeRight spray shelter for this project to catch any overspray. Then I filled up my HomeRight sprayer with Dixie Belle Cotton, full strength, and started spraying!
I always paint chairs with them faced down first until all coats of paint have been applied. I gave these two coats.
The sprayer gives pretty great coverage in two coats. Then I flipped them upright and sprayed the rest:
Spraying furniture is so much quicker! I used to use my sprayer more often at our old house, but it’s so windy at our new house that I don’t use it very often now. My sister doesn’t get a ton of wind in her back yard, so it worked perfectly! Plus, there is no other way I’d rather tackle painting all those chairs!
Because the sprayer is technically spitting the paint out, it can leave the surface not completely smooth to the touch. But because I use chalk paint, all my pieces get sanded from head to toe to smooth them out anyway, I still end up with a super smooth surface. I have never tried using regular enamel paint in the sprayer before. I was happy that the Dixie Belle Paint worked so well in the sprayer even without being watered down. Chalk paint dries very quickly though, so you don’t want to leave your sprayer sitting idle for too long. This tool makes cleaning your sprayer much easier!
I left my sister to finish the chairs on her own. After sanding, she sealed them with Gator Hide as well.
I can’t get over how amazing the chairs turned out!
Remember, I wasn’t a huge fan before. We keep saying that she never could have found a set that she liked better if she were trying to buy new!
What a great investment that table was for only $69!
And I had fun buying a few things to pretty it up even more!
I found the placemats and florals at HomeGoods. The placemats were too big, but because they were plastic, we were able to make them fit by cutting a couple of inches off of each one. (Also voila! Napkin rings ha ha!)
The pedestal base on this table was what sold me!
I can just imagine how pretty it will be when she gets her new floors!
I promised I would share how we did the island today as well. We did it the exact same way!
My sister sanded it:
I told her she should be wearing a mask! Always wear a mask when sanding.
Then I applied Dixie Belle’s White Magic VooDoo gel stain to the wood areas with a soft cloth:
We skipped the wood conditioner on this one because it was just a small area, but we still got great results. Then I sealed with two coats of the Gator Hide using the blue sponge to apply it.
Here is one more project my sister took on herself, their knife block:
She gave it the exact same treatment as the island and the table and chairs:
Now it matches the rest of the kitchen! (I redid my own knife block too HERE!)
And that is the third and final installment of my sister’s very 1980’s kitchen update!
If missed the first two, you can catch up here:
Don’t forget my Trash-to-Treasure girls are sharing makeovers of their own today!
Lauren has decided to take a step back for now. She will truly be missed!
I’ll be back on Thursday with my brand new haul, and I’ll be sharing what I brought home from my day of thrifting that I shared HERE!
UPDATE! No need to come back! See what came home with me HERE now! 🙂
See ya then!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
Mary Kaiser says
WOW!! That is a beautiful table. I love the price a lot. I love how it turned out and how beautiful her chairs turned out. You two are amazing! What a pretty dining set she has now. We have to see a picture after she gets her new floors. I am going to have to get a home right spray painter and a shelter as I have a set of dining room chairs to do. I will have to wait till spring to do them because the cold and snow in Michigan would be a problem now. I can’t wait for spring. Tell your sista she is also amazing and I LOVE her new kitchen and dining room!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Mary! I will definitely share an update after she gets her new floors! The sprayer is perfect for things like chairs. I would probably use mine more often if it weren’t so windy here. Have a fantastic day!! XOXO
Julie says
Simply perfect!
Christy says
Thank you, Julie!! XOXO
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
Stunning difference, girl! Your sister and you make quite the team. Bravo ladies!
Christy says
Thank you, Larissa!! We had a lot of fun too! XOXO
Christine says
It’s beautiful!!! What a difference! The table top was stained, and the base painted? You painted right over the
pedestal stain without taking it to bare wood?
Christy says
Thank you, Christine! Yep, there is no need to sand or prime with Dixie Belle, so we were able to paint right over the base as-is. XOXO
Christina in SW FL says
Oh Christy, this turned out redonkulously gorgeous! I did NOT see the new table coming. Beautiful! The chairs look “softer” in white. Love the gel stain. Way to go!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Christina! I think we were even surprised at how well it turned out. That stain rocks! XOXO
ANN says
I love the new/old table! With the new color, it really fits with her new kitchen redo. Amazing job all over, and makes me wish I could redo mine, Wishing your sister many happy hours in her beautiful space.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Ann! I really love that we were able to tie the whole space together! XOXO
Wendy says
The remake of the table and chairs looks amazing Christy. Great job helping your sister and accomplishing such an extensive project. Your sister must be over the moon with this new kitchen makeover. 😉
Christy says
Thanks so much, Wendy! And you can still the beautiful wood grain, which I know you can appreciate! My sister could not be happier!! XOXO
Gail says
Wow! It is nearly impossible to find pedestal tables any more!-especially with a leaf. That one is beautiful! After giving up and buying a table which I didn’t like, I sold it when we moved. A friend helping with the move asked where our table was and then what were we planning to do. (Fold up table was the temp plan!). He thought his sister had one she wanted to give away. He brought it over and—-It was EXACTLY what I had been searching for for 4 years!!!! *A few stains and blotches but my handy hubby could fix that. Fast forward, we moved again and another table-almost IDENTICAL(!!!) was left behind! Now I have TWO! I LOVED your white stain idea and plan to refinish the table like you did.
Christy says
Oh awesome!! You can cut the pedestal down a bit on one of them and turn it into a gorgeous coffee table?? How lucky and yes, they are hard to find, especially when you’re looking for one lol! Thank you…yours is going to look amazing!! XOXO
Rosa says
👏🏻 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Bravo!!!
Beautifully done!
I wanna do my island like that Christy!
How do I get the white stain ? Do you sell it?
Christy says
Thank you, Rosa! I linked to all the products in the post. They can be found in my Etsy shop! 🙂 XOXO
Abbey Barnes says
Love this! So gorgeous! It really goes so well with the rest of the updated kitchen!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Abbey! XOXO
Janice Holt says
Glad you both decided on an oval table. It turned out so good and the base of the table is so pretty. I’m sure your sister is happy the way everything turned out.
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! Yes, the oval one is so much softer in the space. I’m glad my sister decided to go back for it! She loves how everything turned out! XOXO
Denise Cox says
Your sister is soooo fortunate to have you!!! It is nothing short of kismit that you found that lovely table set. It’s gorgeous!! I love the color and it’s what I was aiming for, although with a bit more of a weathered look to the top. And you’re right… the pedestal is perfect! In fact, everything is perfect!! What a calming place to drink your cuppa in the morn’… 😉🌞.
Christy says
Aww thank you, Denise! I am so glad she took a chance on that table even though thrift stores give her the heebie jeebies lol! And yes, the space is so serene now! XOXO
Mary Loveland says
The table and chairs look great, what a great job you two! Christy, now you know who to go to if you ever get in a bind…..What a team!
Christy says
Thanks, Mary! She is retiring from the Navy in three years and I keep telling her she needs to come work with me!! XOXO
Candy C says
This is absolutely beautiful……you never cease to amaze me.
Blessings, Candy
Christy says
Thanks so much, Candy! You are the sweetest! XOXO
Rosie says
One word to describe this transformation would be …..wow!….. beautifully done ladies. I think I found my new love, gel stain. You continue to make my Tuesdays and Thursdays intriguing ☺️
Have a great day!
Christy says
Aww I’m so glad you like it, Rosie! Thank you! That gel stain rocks!! XOXO
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
It looks amazing!! The whole kitchen looks amazing! What a difference. So good. xoxo
Christy says
Thank you, my dear friend!! I love this set so much, I want to steal it and bring it home haha! XOXO
sharon austin says
Whoa! I love how that table turned out!!! I’d be so happy to do that to my hutch if it didn’t have such intricate carvings, darnit. I don’t know how I’d get them sanded without ruining the carvings… 🙁 Hey, I wonder if that white voodoo gel stain would work on fan blades?! LOL
Christy says
Thank you, Sharon! I’m so glad you like it! This treatment would be gorgeous on a hutch! Maybe you could do a combination of stain and paint? If your fan blades are wood…yes! But They probably aren’t if I had to guess! XOXO
sharon austin says
Never thought of combination paint and stain. And yes, the blades are wood, so I just may try this!! I don’t want to lose my fan, but I want them to look light & airy -pun intended!! LOL
Christy says
oh yay! Then I say go for it! Ha ha! XO
Eva says
I was recently gifted a round wood table and I’m going to copy what you did!
Christy says
Oh yay! Lucky you!! Have fun with it! XOXO
cassie love says
I am an avid reader of your posts, and I love everything you do. I have a question, I inherited my mom’s oak dining room set. It’s a big oak table that’s got the 80’s look to it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful table. She was so happy when she purchased it. She wanted a table that was big enough for everyone. I don’t want to damage the integrity of the piece, but I’m wondering how this white stain would look on it and the chairs. Advice?
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cassie! I haven’t tried this on oak, but I imagine it would look great, better than it does now I’m sure. I would test one of the chairs and see how it does. XOXO
Janina says
You are definitely turning your sis into a DIYer! (Yes, she needs to wear a mask!) That table is absolutely stunning, and more so stained, and the chairs done to match. I love it all. And now that it’s all so beautiful she’ll be itching to redo her floor! Lol. I look forward to seeing that. I still would love to see the island black, or partly black – maybe even just the band of wood around the top that you whitewashed, with something black below to ground it. You are definitely a creative genius! Can you be my sister too??? 😊
Christy says
Ha ha thank you, Janina! I agree about the black, but she is looking for two pretty bins in black or some sort of black pattern to put on the shelf in her island. I would have liked to have seen it painted black too though. Still way better than it was and I love seeing how proud she is of the work she has done! XOXO
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
You girls did a beautiful job! I love the soft farmhouse finish the dining set has now. Everything looks gorgeous in her kitchen so far!
Christy says
Thanks, Jen! I just love how everything in the space came together! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
I can see why you’d be so excited about this set, Christy. The table was quite a find at that price and the two of you did a fabulous job refinishing everything. I didn’t think anything would be more impressive than the kitchen cabinets, but this is pretty close!
Christy says
Thank you, Marcie! It was a great find indeed!! I’m so glad it was still there when she went back for it! XOXO
Becky says
Well DONE, Christy and Sister! 😊 The table and chairs are GORGEOUS!!! I have no trouble whatsoever believing that would not have found better shopping new. What you have now is fabulous! Such a bright and pretty space!
I can’t wait to see your next project together! 😉😁
Christy says
Thanks so much, Becky!! Yes…she has a one-of-a-kind set now! I need to come up with a big project now so she can pay me back ha ha! XOXO
Lizzy says
Wow! It turned out beautifully. White stain, who knew? I wonder how it would look on red oak hard wood floors. Sometimes stains come out pinkish and that would not be good.
Christy says
Thank you, Lizzy! Yes, who knew?? I’m not sure about the floors, I would be curious to see though! XOXO
Ellen Shook says
Fantastic job, you two! That table is wonderful. I had my doubts about those chairs, but they look great, too. Did you also paint the island base like the cabinet? That is quite a nice one. I like all the storage in it.
Wondering which white you could recommend in Dixie Bell that would be comparable to ASCP Old White? There are definitely a few of their products I want to order from you when I get my act together as to what I need.
Christy says
Thank you, Ellen! I had my doubts about the chairs too, but they turned out so much better than I imagined! We did the island pretty much the same as the cabinets except we used regular primer instead of the stinky shellac primer that was needed to seal in the knots in the pine. A good comparison to Old White is Drop Cloth, except it is a beautiful creamy color without the yellow undertones that AS Old White sometimes has. Buttercream is pretty too but has a bit more yellow undertone in it. Hope this helps! XOXO
Terry Moore says
Perfect for her space and so pretty!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Terry! XOXO
Debbie in TX says
You guys, this is awesome! I think you’ve found your calling. “The DIY Sisters” would be a good business for the two of you. Love the gel stain and the new table decor. Way to go!
Christy says
Thank you, Debbie!! I keep telling my sister that when she retires, she needs to come work with me! XOXO
Petra says
I’m so glad your sister went with a curved table 🙂 and that base – gorgeous! When I was looking at previous photos of the island bench I thought something was different about the island bench pine but I thought it must be my eyes 🙂 . So you did the gel on that too and it looks fabulous like the table top. It’s almost like liming I suppose but I prefer your gel. I have 2 big painting jobs to tackle but the smoke down here in Melbourne has caused me to put off any painting unfortunately. We’re getting a cool change tomorrow and some much-needed rain thankfully. xo
Christy says
Thank you, Petra! Yes, I don’t miss the boxy table she had before at all. And my heart breaks for you guys…all those animals too. I’m glad to hear you are expecting rain, hopefully that will bring some relief! Keeping you in my thoughts! XOXO
Shirley Lange says
The stain gives the set a soft, subtle and pretty look, Christy. You two put in the work, sweat, and time; not one minute was wasted. Did you two experience the “sweet smell of success?” You should, big time. I have a question. Could you tell me where you bought the back splash? Gorgeous!
Christy says
Thank you, Shirley! That is my sister’s name too! We really did not waste any time at all, and the final result was so worth the work! I linked to the backsplash in the post, but you can find it here: https://amzn.to/2To7Iax I used the same backsplash in my own kitchen and I love it!! XOXO
Ashley says
Hi Christy
The table and chairs are beautiful! You and your sister are so talented. I would love to do this to my dinning room table. I am interested in ordering a blue sponge when they are available.
Thanks,
Ashley
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Ashley! I have added your name to my list to be notified when the sponges are available again! Hoping they are right about Friday! XOXO
Patty says
Christy, you and your sister have made her kitchen a show piece! The table and chairs were the icing on the cake 🙂 I love it so much – just beautiful – magazine perfect!! Could you put me on the list for a blue sponge or should I email you on Etsy? I still haven’t ordered my paint yet – having trouble deciding on color since I have several pieces I need to paint and making decisions on wall paint as well. Wish you were here!! LOL
Christy says
Thank you so much, Patty! I added your name to my list to be notified when the sponges are available again…hopefully very soon! Deciding on colors is the hardest part…good luck!! XOXO
ROSE LEFEBVRE says
The table and chairs re so lovely! You did an excellent job on them and also on the island.
Christy says
Thank you, Rose! XOXO
Sandra Dovales says
The difference from before to after is amazing, and what a special project for two sisters, I had a similar table and gave it to goodwill (before I learned how to paint) on the look for another.
Christy says
Thank you, Sandra! It was really fun working in this project with my sister. I too sold a beautiful dining table at a yard sale for $40 before I got into painting furniture! XOXO
Kimberly Wollmer says
The kitchen and the table and chairs are beautiful! I didn’t think you could top your bedroom set makeover, and this is pretty close! May I ask why you didn’t use a sprayer on the cabinets? I will be doing my kitchen cabinets soon. I am debating waiting until it’s warmer and use the sprayer outside, or start now and use rollers.
Christy says
Thank you, Kimberly!! I am just used to using a brush/roller method for painting cabinets. I already know that I get good results that way. My HomeRight sprayer is fantastic because it is inexpensive and it gives great coverage, but it does leave a slight texture. It could be that I am using chalk paint, but I am okay with that because I sand all my chalk-painted pieces super smooth anyway. I have never tried it with regular latex enamel paint though. I think if you had a bit more high-end sprayer that you could probably get great results with a sprayer as well. If it were me…I would need to jump in and get started when I was feeling the urge or I would be afraid it would pass ha ha! Good luck! XOXO
Mary Walberg says
Wow! That table and chairs look amazing with the new kitchen! I was struck by how the new table legs really coordinate very well with the kitchen island and its legs…if we didn’t know you purchased them separately, it would certainly look intentional. I love when that happens! Fantastic transformation!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Mary!! I didn’t realize how nicely they coordinated until you pointed it out and yes, I too love when that happens!! XOXO
Julie Briones says
Wow… all these projects came out GREAT! Love that white gel stain! I just may need to get me some of that… maybe to use on a Hoosier makeover?
Christy says
Thanks, Julie! We sure are happy it’s all done lol! The white gel stain is gorgeous! I don’t know why I was surprised, but I just love it. Ooh yes, it would be great on your Hoosier cabinet! XOXO
Elisa M Aguayo says
I am so inspired by your beautiful table and chairs makeover. They look amazing. I want to redo my kitchen table and chairs the same way. Was wondering what paint brush I can use in place of the paint sprayer. It’s on back order. Love your blog. I am a new subsciber.
Christy says
Thank you, Elisa! My favorite brush is a Purdy brand 2″ angled brush. I find them at Lowes and on Amazon. Thanks so much for choosing to follow along with me! XOXO
Sara Cieslak says
I love it. I finally found exactly what I want to do with a solid oak table I just garbage picked 🤗. Can you give me an idea of how much stain and paint you used?
Christy says
Thank you, Sara! It only took one bottle of the stain and a little more than half of a 32oz size of the paint, I believe. XOXO