Advice needed re. painting a table please

[ProbablyMe]

Hi

I have a chunky round dining table that extends to an oval in pine that I have been given by my parents that I would like to spruce up a bit. I'm considering painting it - either the whole thing or just the pedestal and legs I which case I would need to sand and treat the top as it's a bit scratched.

What I would like is some advice on preparations that indeed to make prior to painting/sanding and suggestions on paints/varnishes/waxes etc that would be good!

Thanks!

Hi - what's the finish on it at the moment - is it varnished or polished or bare wood?

If you like the colour of the wood, try this (from the likes of B&Q) to spruce it up and see what you think. If the wood has a darker finish, they do a version for dark wood as well. We have a large pine dining table which DP failed to have protected in any way when he stored it in a friend's garage and this stuff brings it up really well and hides the marks and scratches.

Hi there. I've just painting an old table that we were given by a family member and didn't know what to do with. No idea what the wood was originally but it had been stained a dark mahogany which didn't go with the rest of our furniture. I painted the legs with Annie Sloan chalk paint (no preparation needed-can be slapped on top of pretty much anything) and a coat of wax. I didn't want to paint the top as it's a dining table and i wanted something hard wearing. Instead i removed the old varnish and stain with paint stripper (nitromors), lightly sanded it to make sure all the stain was removed and then applied a couple of coats of danish oil to protect the top. The oil is clear but it slightly darkens the wood and brings out the natural grain as well as waterproofing. The end result was great and well worth a weekend of effort!