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August 9, 2016

Two Tone Stained Telephone Table Makeover

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This post is sponsored by Minwax. All opinions and creative direction are my own.

If you’ve been following me for while, you know that I love working with wood stain. I’m a stain girl. I typically stain projects versus paint them. Just my preference. I love seeing the two stone stained furniture pieces that have natural wood grains shine through and I love the rustic look you can get with stains. Anything from a rich Dark Walnut for a polished look, to a weathered gray for a more farmhouse look. Which is why you can find all shades of Minwax stacked in my garage at all times.

Two Tone Stained Telephone Table Makeover

A few weeks ago the team from Minwax came to Seattle for the Renegade Craft Fair and I had a chance to hang out with them for a bit and chat with Bruce, the ultimate stain master. I learned so much from him and I can’t wait to try out all the new techniques I heard about. After they event they sent me home with this adorable “Telephone Table” to play around with. It started out as a natural wood and I used the Minwax Water Based Stains to give it a personalized look.

Two Tone Side Table Makeover using white washed stain. A great farmhouse look.

Minwax recently launched their Made With Love campaign that’s all about giving a personalized look and feel to your pieces. Whether it’s refinishing a family heirloom, giving a personalized gift or making something meaningful for your home. I refinished this piece while keeping those things in mind. I wanted something personalized so I used tones that reflect my personal style and then added a personalized graphic to the top (keep scrolling).

Vintage Bicycle Knob

I switched out the basic wood knob and replaced it with a fun vintage bicycle drawer pull for an added touch of detail.

Farmhouse Table Makeover

Vintage Inspired Telephone Table Makeover

And here is where I personalized my piece. To some they are just number, but I actually used our area code to create a more industrial style for the “telephone table”. :)

DIY Furniture Makeover - Telephone Table Stained with Water Based Stain

This piece was fun to create and I loved working with the water based stains. It was my first time using them so I thought I’d give a little tutorial on how I got this look.

Staining A Wood Table With White Wash Stain

Telephone Table Makeover

Since the table was in pieces and hadn’t been put together yet, I laid all the pieces out first and worked on them before assembling the table. This gives everything a really great all-over stain. It started with the Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner and let it dry. After this dries you will want to gently sand the surface down with a higher grit sand paper. 220+ works great.

Water Based Wood Stain
Telephone Table Makeover Tutorial

Minwax has TONS of beautiful water based stains to choose from. They even have lots of vibrant colors. But since you all know me I only work with neutrals and was drawn to their Sea & Sky color palette. For this piece I used a combination of the Pure White and the Slate. Also, the Water Based Stains need to be mixed at the hardware store. So you will pick up the tint base and take it to the paint counter to be mixed. I love the subtle look of the pure white. It really gives it a nice white washed look. I did 3 coats on my piece. I brushed the stain on and then you can use a paper towel to wipe off any excess stain.

Telephone Table Makeover Personalized

For the top of the piece and the drawer, I used the Slate color. I will say, I expected this color to look a lot more gray and it turned out to be a lighter brown in my opinion. Maybe if you used multiple coats it would darken it and pull those gray tones out a little more.

For the personalized touch, I used my Silhouette to create a quick stencil and then used Onyx over it. Here is  tip, if you are wanting to put stencils over stain, the water based stains are the way to go. When working with oil based stains the adhesive has a hard time sticking, but with water based it worked perfect.

To finish the piece, give it a coat of water-based wipe on poly. It sealed it beautifully.

DIY Furniture Makeover - Telephone Table Stained with Water Based Stain
bruce Minwax

Everyone seems to know Bruce from Minwax, he is so incredibly knowledgable and talented and it’s always great to chat with him. I heard him speak at a conference a few years ago and it was great to get some 1:1 time together to talk stain. 


Bruce let me in on a big secret (ok not really a secret) about using Wipe On Poly over chalky paint. It gives it a beautiful finish and you don’t have to use all the elbow grease putting on wax.

Wipe On Stain!

Minwax Wood Finishing Cloths

They also just came out with Wood Finishing Cloths. These are awesome! They look and feel just like a small container of baby wipes. They comes with 8 wipes of stain and they would cover a small piece of furniture. For only $8.99 this is a great way to go if you need just a little bit of stain.

Minwax Wood Conditioner

We also chatted about the importance of using a wood conditioner as it helps the stain and really brings those wood tones out.

Water Based Wood Stains

And if you are interested in working with the water based stains, here is what they look like so you can spot them on the shelf.

What are your favorite ways to use stain?

If you need some more ideas, check out Minwax on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Here’s another great side table makeover using reclaimed wood and another table with a concrete top!

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.

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Filed Under: ALL POSTS, Before and Afters, DIY Home Decor, DIY Projects, Furniture Builds and Makeovers, Sponsored

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ellie says

    August 20, 2016 at 9:21 am

    Taryn, I love what you did with the table. I have an oak bed and dresser (it’s an antique) but I was thinking of painting it with white chalk paint, maybe leaving the dresser top oak. Would the Minwax water stain in white work on this set? The bed is so pretty with carvings and the headboard is about 6 ft. tall. Any suggestions would be appreciated. You’re probably saying, oh no don’t paint it, right? Is there a real light oak stain? Thanks for any ideas you may have.

    Reply
  2. Chelsea Johnson says

    August 22, 2016 at 1:16 pm

    I love this. Thanks for all the great tips about stain. I love Minwax. Does the wipe on poly have the same level of coverage as normal poly? I’m getting ready to seal a dining room table that has been painted and it needs to be covered well.

    Reply
    • Taryn Whiteaker says

      August 23, 2016 at 8:36 am

      Hey Chelsea! When sealing a table, I recommend using the Polyacrylic, this gives it a hard protective finish while sealing the wood and it allows the water to bubble up on top. Making it easy to clean. I did a post on redoing a table here: http://designdininganddiapers.com/2014/08/farmhouse-table-makeover/

      Reply

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Meet Taryn

Taryn Whiteaker

Hi and welcome! I'm Taryn and the voice of style behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I'm a wife, mom of three, and coffee lover, living in the Pacific Northwest! This is where I share my love for design, whether it's decorating our own home, tackling big DIY projects, creating inviting tablescapes, or sharing my personal style. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list to get all the latest updates! Read more...

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