This little buddy had definitely had the time of it's life. Paint, glue, and who knows what on it, scratched and beat up. Perfect. While is was structurally sound, it was a wierd combo of real wood, plastic trim, and laminate top. I had to really think about where I wanted to go with this.
I started with a good bath with TSP, and a scrub brush. There was some sort of glue on the top, so I had to really scrub with a green scrubby to get off--I left some scratches in the laminate as a result. I really did not want to paint the top, as Chuck puts his drinks there and I knew the sweating glasses would ruin paint. So, I came up with an alternate paint scheme. The pieces I saw on Pinterest were done in bright turquoise, hot pink, etc.,which were adorable, but I somehow felt Chuck would not be impressed with a lime green end table. So, a creamy white paint left over from my kitchen cabinets was my best choice.
I left the top laminate alone. I sanded and re-stained the wood trim around the top and bottom with some deck stain and seal, so it is waterproof as well. I painted the body--wood drawers, plastic trim, and laminate sides, and cardboard back. I foam rolled the paint, and after it dried, I went after it with some sandpaper.
I loved the look! The pulls really stood out on the cream paint. The relief on the plastic trim show up really well, and I still have my laminate top for durability! After sanding, I went over it with a couple of coats of Minwax Finishing Paste Wax, which brought the top back to a wonderful shine (except for a few scratch marks)!! I also love how it seals the distressed areas, and tones the wood that is showing through. Chuck isn't crazy about the pulls, but I love them--definitely adds some "flavor" to it!!
I am very pleased with the result, and now Chuck not only has room for a reading lamp, he has TWO big drawers to put his stuff in! Not bad for a total cost of around $10.
Yes, I am Jedi.
