My first ever DIY post: Easy Restoration Hardware Stain

I don't normally post DIY information on my blog, but this worked out too well not to share.

For the past year or so, I've been on the hunt for a larger kitchen table...one that would allow me to eat meals with my nieces and nephews when they were over, as opposed to watching them eat while i lean against the kitchen counter.

A couple of weeks ago, some friends of mine were giving away a pedestal table that would accomodate us all...they even offered to deliver it!

I did a happy dance.

Kiddos breaking in my new-to-me table.

There were two small problems with the table, though:
1. There were only four chairs, so I'd need to buy two more. No problem. I'd just have to shop around and find something I loved...after I solved problem #2, of course.
2. The table was in desperate need of refinishing. You can't really tell from my before photo, but the finish was a mess from years of little kiddos being little kiddos...and their grimey fingers. ;)

I pretty much knew I didn't want your standard stain. No cherry or walnut or honey oak for me. I wanted something that looked like it belonged on an old farmhouse table or was made from reclaimed wood...in other words, I wanted my old, second-hand table to look like it could have come from Restoration Hardware.

So, I did what anyone else would have done...I got on Pinterest. There I found tons of posts about how to achieve various Restoration Hardware type stains. The stain I was particularly fond of was "french gray".

Restoration Hardware "French Gray".

According to Pinterest, this look required lots of stripping, stain, chalk paint and a glaze. This girl thought, "Um, yeah, I don't think so. There's got to be an easier way."

I'll spare you the story of all of my web searching and deliberation and shopping and just cut to the chase: There actually IS an easier way!

Here it is:

The easier way. :)

First, obviously, prepare your wood. My brother sanded the table with 80 grit and 120 grit. After we cleaned it, I applied a coat of wood conditioner. Then, I mixed 1 part "Sunbleached" to 4-5 parts "Golden Oak" (the exact ratio depends on the wood you're working on...I was using pine). Do a test patch before you stain the whole table to make sure you have the right ratio for your wood.

Apply your special mix in 4 inch sections and wipe excess off after 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once you've applied the first coat, let it sit for about 15 minutes then apply a second coat in the same way you applied the first. Let that sit for about 15 minutes, too. If you love the color, you're done. If it's not quite there, add one more coat. I was happy with mine after two coats.

This particular stain requires one hour to set. After that time, you can either leave the wood as is, apply a polyurethane of your choice or a thin coat of wax. Restoration Hardware has a more "raw wood" kind of look, so I opted against using poly.

If you're nervous about mixing stain, you could also use this optional two-step method:

1. Apply a thin coat of "Sunbleached" to the entire table. Wipe excess quickly.
2. Apply a thin coat of "Golden Oak" to the entire table. Wipe excess after about 30 seconds - 1 minute.

I used this method on a test patch before i got the brilliant idea to mix the stains for a one-step application. The color was just as nice both ways.

I really wanted to stain the whole table, but I thought if I asked my brother to sand the curvy pedestal for me, he'd just walk away and leave me on my own...but, I am still super pleased with how it turned out. And, as you can see from the photo, I still need to find two more chairs. :)

The finished product, minus two more chairs.

I also have to resist the urge to stain everything in my house!