My old kitchen table was a small Formica one given to me by a friend. The top was way too small, so I made a bigger one out of mdf that sat on the top. I kept this table covered with a table cloth for around 9 years. It’s amazing what you just live with when you have to.
So when I found this very orange Ducal extending table in Millers Auction House in Byker, Newcastle, I knew I could make it beautiful once again.
The table and four chairs cost £90. However I didn’t like the chairs so sold them on for £40 so the table was a huge bargain. I later found four chairs in a junk shop for £30.
I set about painting the table. I started by sanding the legs down with a medium sandpaper to give the paint a good base to stick to. The first coat was a multi-surface primer then an eggshell from Marston & Langinger that matched my walls. White pepper is a lovely shade is whitish grey. Starting with the base, I found it best to do this upside down to get in the nooks and crannies without breaking my neck!
I’d originally wanted to strip the top and stain it darker to match my iroko workshops, but after a dip and strip attempt failed to remove the lacquer, I decided to paint it.
Now, I’m pretty handy with a paintbrush, but for a table top that was going to take a bit of heavy wear and tear from a young son, I thought I should hand it over to the professionals. The Spray Shop in Hoults Yard let me mix the paint to match my kitchen cabinets and sprayed my table with a hard wearing lacquer paint in a lovely matt finish. Allowing time to get a few coats on and time to dry I had my table back within a week. It cost £70, so not cheap, but the top is still going strong after a LOT of wear from a small child so well worth it!
My chairs got the same treatment as the table base in the Marston & Langinger White Pepper eggshell and the total cost was £160 including the paint. Total bargain and completely customised to my own kitchen scheme.
I believe everything in a home should tell a story and if you take some old drawers, an auction table or a chair from your granny’s loft and make it completely unique, you’re also giving it a new purpose and a new chapter in your homes history.
The final addition to my table is a set of vinyl table mats found in a local charity shop. £2 each for classics such as Kids from Fame, CATS, Frank Sinatra, Mary Poppins and The King and I. Great conversation starters too! Repurposing in the simplest form. 
If you’re scared to paint something you own. Don’t be. If it doesn’t turn out how you want, then just paint it again! Or if all else fails, hand it over to the professionals!
All round creative junkie 