Katie bought this table 4 years ago for $30 at a yard sale, and has been using it in all its scratched glory in her master bedroom ever since. Now that she is redoing that room, she knew the time had come for the table to receive a little TLC as well. Unwilling to go through the time consuming process of a full refinish, Katie was able to transform the look of this table with just an hour of work.
After giving this table a good clean, Katie got to work mixing up a stain that closely matched the existing finish on the table. Because this table was so watermarked and stained, she was forced to sand the entire top; other small stains on the side of the table were lightly spot sanded to prep for stain. Katie used a foam brush to apply the stain, then left the piece outside to dry. Once the stain was dry, she applied a quick-drying polyurethane before the table was ready to reclaim a place of pride in Katie's home.
Obviously drying time doesn't factor into the 60 minute time frame, but still, Katie's project is an impressive reminder that not every project has to be a huge commitment of time and effort to get a great looking result.
See More: Creatively Living: How to Refinish a Table in 1 Hour
Images: Katie Goldsworthy/Creatively Living
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Commercial Flour Sa...
How to Cook Moist & Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Fantastic job! And she looks so happy now. :)
This is just lovely! Great work!
really pretty. thanks for not painting it white.
that was in her master with all that dust? talk about allergies...
Well done Katie! I love seeing more of this on AT, please keep it up.
It sounds crazy, but I've gotten water marks out of wood by using an iron on top of a dry towel on the damaged area.
Wow. When doIng refinishing projects, I've always stripped the piece down. What a great quick fix!
Oh, and thank you for not painting it! I (personally) hate seeing pieces that are good wood "upgraded" with paint.
Beautiful
Beautiful work!
I was afraid from what she said about now wanting to put a lot of work/time into it that she was going to slap some contact paper on it, I hesitated before looking.....relieved to see the results.
good job.
I've used Formby Furniture Refinisher to achieve a similar result very quickly. Fantastic stuff.
Wow, did she ever dust the thing? Great transformation though.
Great work!
Like Heather C said, I work at a frame store and if there is a small dent in a wooden frame we will use an iron to get it out. Works wonders!
excellent result, restored but not refurbished
Wonderful, and another thank you for not just painting it. This is very inspiring.
Also, thank you HEATHER C for sharing the iron on watermarks.
@nycagnes the picture is maybe from when she bought it at a yardsale originally.
Wow! Looks better than brand new!
I have an old desk from the 1950s which came to me - for free - marked quite a bit and I'm afraid I've added to that with hot cups of tea that missed the coasters. I know I will have to strip down the top to clean it off but this post makes it sound quite easy. Thanks for the advice.
@caradoll Look at the three marks in the dust! Rectangle: box; circle: lamp; blurred circle: bowl. They fit scaringly well! But the dust thing is in every aspect a very marginal issue regarding the overwhelmingly beatiful result!
You have a "good eye". It takes that to envision what it could become (again) with some effort. I don't suggest you show it to those you purchased from ... they'll want it back. Nicely done ...
I use a hair dryer to take out water marks. Works beautifully!
I inherited my great grandmother's gorgeous dining room set from my mom and dad and am waiting til spring to do the very same. They unfortunately had a loose-bladdered older cat that took a liking to urinating on the top of the table and it ate through varnish. A quick sand, stain and seal and it'll be brand new!
Agreed though, thank you thank you for someone actually restoring a pretty piece of furniture and not slapping a coat of white paint over it.
Photobugla, I've used Howard's Restor-a-Finish on marked-up wood with great results. Try that on your '50's desk before you spend time sanding it down.