Don't hit me, wood lovers, but I'd strip it and do a cerused wood finish like the current Restoration Hardware look. I think it would be gorgeous!

Here is a link that might be useful: Restoration Hardware salvage tables

I would paint the legs and the apron, and strip and restain the top, and as RMM said oil or varnish. I am in the process of redoing an old table of the same vintage, and that is how I will finish it but use Briwax if it is solid wood on top, and use eggshell poly if it is veneered- so the new owners wont ruin it.

I would suggest paint another piece but not that table. I have always preferred natural (as opposed to heavily lacquered) wood so I would suggest stripping and oiling it.

I would do the base and apron of the table in a really rich black brown.

Then I would look into a faux tortoise shell or burled wood finish. I think the tones in either one would be fabulous with your chairs, and would be a bit of a more contemporary vibe to balance the traditional.

Very pretty table. I wouldn't paint it.

Thanks for the input. I do like the finish on the RH table, but I think it would take a lot to strip it that far. I only spent $100 for the table, so I can certainly invest some sweat equity in it. Is it a modern limed or pickled treatment?

I like the varnished or waxed top idea. I love touchable wood, and since it's just DH and me on a regular basis, I don't need an iron-clad finish.

If I don't paint it, I just feel as though it's too much wood in that small room. The dining room is only 15 x 15 and has so much dark wood. I'm even rethinking my drapery fabric because it seems so heavy and dark. I'll try to get some other pictures of the dining room tomorrow to show some more angles, and I'll take some close-ups of the table.

I would love to paint that table! What a great find. I do think you should go lighter, although I always like black, I think you need a little contrast. And keep the top the natural wood. Do a little experimenting by sanding off the finish and seeing what the wood really looks like.
As for the base color, maybe a cream the same tone as your chairs, or the background color of your drapes, and then sanding back (antiquing) to see the wood in the *worn* spots. Then maybe a metallic pin striping around the edge, on the top to mimic your chandy.
Anyway, that's a great table. If you decide you don't want it, here's my address....

You should not paint it. You should immediately ship it to me :O)! I love it - great find.

Seriously - if you considered painting it I would do as suggested from other posters and just do the trestle part.

Lovely!

My dining table is nearly identical to yours except the legs and apron on mine are carved. The table in the link is what mine looks like.

Please post if you paint the table. I would love to see the transformation.

Here is a link that might be useful: table

Yes, cerused wood is like liming. Briwax makes a liming wax or you can just do a whitewash with watered down paint. Google will lead you to several tutorials? Good luck with whatever you decide!

I'd stain it darker to work with the chairs' legs. I would not do a pickle or wash because the rich orange tones in the other woods and on the chair backs would not play well with that.
If you went black with it, I'd paint the chair legs to coordinate.

I am not a lover of painted wood so I would never paint it! I think I would strip it and see how it looks natural if afraid of it being to dark but I love the idea of it being as dark as the chair legs! I think dining rooms should be dramatic so dark to me is elegant not depressing! Your room has such lovely character BTW!

I would paint the entire base satin black to match the legs on your chairs and refinish the top with an oil finish. Strip the poly/varnish or whatever is on the top, lightly sand and see how the top looks. I also wouldn't worry about dents or deep scratches.

I agree with roarah. It's too pretty to paint, and stripping might reveal nice graining too.

Not offering an opinion on the painting, but just wanted to say what a gorgeous table you found. And just $100! It looks like it really suits your chairs and room - whether you paint it or not, it's going to look amazing.

I'm in the minority and would paint it in a heartbeat! The RH table could be created easy enough and looks to be an ivory/tan base paint with a medium brown glaze. I love the way the glaze picks up the 'flaws'. The dark stain table looks like a 'blast from the past' and painting/glazing would be a definite update. ;o)

I've been watching your thread with interest to see what people recommend and what you decide. While the RH table is lovely, I don't see it working well with your chairs. For that reason, my vote is to strip the table, see how it looks natural and then decide what to do next. I think the shiny look it has now makes it look dated plus probably shows up any scratches/wear, but a more distressed look would be stunning. I love your drapery choice BTW.

My initial reaction is that it's a lovely table and I would be sad to see it painted. Typically I would be more inclined to sand and stain it. However, looking at your room I can see how you might be concerned about adding more wood tones. Personally, I would put the table in the room and live with it for a bit before making a decision. If you do decide to paint, I'm not certain that painting just the base will have as much of an impact as you might want. The table top contains most of the visual weight of the table, so the wood may still dominate the piece.

Thanks for all the ideas! I'll definitely start with stripping the finish and then post some photos to get some more feedback. I do need to keep in mind the dark orange-based woodwork in the house, so that limits me just a bit on finish ideas for the table.

I've stripped paint before, but not a poly finish. Can anyone recommend the best steps or a good stripper product? I don't want to get too harsh, but sanding the turned legs and curved details will be a big pain, so some chemical help would be good.

You wouldn't have to strip it if you decided to paint, but you would need to use a primer first. You're in for a really tedious task, which I would serious think through before starting. Removing the poly isn't a walk in the park. ;o)

I think regardless of the trestle base, I probably want to strip the top and keep it some sort of natural wood (maybe stained, etc.). If I start there, it will give me a good indication of how hard the rest of the table will be!

Should I just sand the top to get rid of the poly? A little random orbit palm sander shouldn't leave too many marks. I know I'd have to do something else if I decide to strip the base.

I agree, it will take a lot of work to get the poly off. If you do decide to paint it, you could use chalk paint, which only requires a good cleaning--no sanding, stripping, or even priming. Just clean it and paint. I haven't used chalk paint (yet) myself, but the results look amazing, and with such little effort. Good luck with whatever you choose. I'm sure it will look beautiful. Great find!

Sand the top and see what you have there. Graining may be wondrous or blah.

For finishing, chalk paint may not be a good choice. Usually that paint is waxed and a waxed paint surface likely won't be tough enough for a table top. Depending on how it looks sanded/stripped AND your tolerance for dings/rings/patina,you could look at tung oil as a finish for the top. Waxed chalk paint on the legs and apron would be easy and smashing.

Me, I would go with a more sturdy finish for the top - life is too short. There are water based polys now that are fairly matte and pretty tough. They look better sprayed than brushed. The regular polys can be wiped on for a more forgiving application, but their shineyness can feel plastic-y and will show scratches.

Gorgeous table!

On the refinishing-

For getting off the finish - which is more likely to be varnish than poly - try Citristrip gel. My local Rockler guys recommended it and it was a piece of cake to take the finish off a 3 x 5 coffee table. Sooooo much easier than the stuff that I used years ago to strip miles of woodwork in a Victorian. And easier and cheaper than sanding. You'll be sanding plenty later with that orbital between coats.

Here's my $15 Goodwill table, big, solid, heavy and nice shape and leg detail

But the finish was really shot with both black and white water rings and gouges - the trifecta!

I was able to bleach out the black rings and it came out really nice. Discovered there was a stunning swirling pattern in the fruitwood graining!

Isn't she lovely? But...while it looks great, I've changed my mind on the look and shape I want. I've decided to go with a more rustic square pine table instead, so this one is going on CL or back to Goodwill.

You can do it. Really. It just takes a little time and patience. You can always strip again - I think I stripped this piece three times because I was experimenting with stains and didn't like the colors. No biggy to redo it once you have it set up.

No! No! Don't paint it! It would look so beautiful in your dining room with that chandelier!

I'll paint anything, but that table...

I agree with whoever said to bring it into the room and live with it a while. If it just seems too much, could you try a runner down the center or a tablecloth? Maybe a strip of mirror, used as a runner?

If it still seems too much, I'd remove the finish from the top (it's most likely laquer, rather than poly) and go with a lighter, more natural finish. Then paint the legs and apron to match your chairs.