Video of Mid-Century Modern End Table Refinishing


Blog, Home, Living Room, Woodworking / Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018

When Ellie found the $5 MCM end table at Goodwill and asked me to refinish it, I got a bit giddy. I really enjoy refinishing old pieces of furniture and bringing new life into them. It started years ago when I bought an old radio and fixed it up for Ellie as a Christmas present. It became a labor of love. I enjoy scraping off the blemishes and refinishing so everything is smooth and new looking again. I’m not perfect at it, and I’m sure a lot of people have their opinions about what I do wrong, but I’m always happy with my results and that’s what’s important. Also, my technique improves every time.

Some things I particularly enjoyed about this restoration:

  • The wood appeared to be teak, which was soft and sanded down easily
  • Revealing the grain after sanding
  • Flat surfaces for easy sanding and finishing
  • The simplicity of the design
  • The brass ferrules, they look great against the natural wood
  • Surprising Ellie with the finished product
  • The fact that the table cost $5, and all with refinishing materials it probably cost only $20.

I know this style of table is trendy right now, everyone seems to be bringing back the mid-century modern look, but it fits really well into our mid-century home. It also checks a bunch of boxes.

  • Natural wood
  • Clean design
  • Small
  • Fits our decor
  • Cheap

What more could we ask for?

Let me know what you think of the video in the comments. I personally find this style soothing and could watch things like this all day (and have).

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