How to Lighten Stained Wood With Beautiful Results

On the blog I shared all the details of this coffee table project. I also shared the tools that made this project easier than it would have been otherwise.  Click the link below to go check it out!

If you click the link below you can watch the video of how I turned this old outdated coffee table a refresh. Now it's one of my favorite pieces of furniture we own.

Before

After

Apply stripper

The first thing I did was apply the stripper and let it set for the suggested mount of time. Mine required 15-20 minutes.

Clean stripper off

I took mineral spirits and steel wool and scrubbed the stripper off.  I used a heavier grit steel wool first and then switched to a fine grit.

Sand the piece

After the stripper is cleaned up, the next thing you’ll do is sand the piece of furniture. First I used 80 grit for this project.

Wipe off saw dust

I used the straight pick, a rag, and a tack cloth to get most of the particles off the coffee table.

Apply household bleach

I did this is the Summer, so I moved the table out into the sun to aid in the lightening process.

Sand again

This time I sanded with 220 grit to make it smooth again. The household bleach can make it feel rough.

Apply oil or top coat

I used a natural finish danish oil for a couple of reasons: I bleached the wood and so I wanted to rehydrate it, and also because it is a natural finish.

White wax

Because the danish oil made the wood a little bit darker than I hoped I decided to use a white wax for my top coat.

Click the link below to see what I would do differently the next time, the biggest helpful hint when working on a project like this, and the tools that made this project easier!

WE MOVED Join us on this journey!

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