Compound would be fine for other close-grain woods but not for this particular oak where you can see the open pores. The compound will get in them. I would try a magic eraser first (with windex or similar), if that doesn't work try the wax + 4/0 steel wool. If that fails, you're in a different league; remove the wax with naphtha and start wet sanding with 1500 grit paper with water + detergent and keep checking to see when you get just far enough so that the pattern of pox have disappeared, then wax. Dark wax would be better because there will be a white deposit of powdered finish in the pores. But I end up there as a last resort instead of starting there with compound. If you start with compound, have the dark wax handy. Casey

I suppose that adding extensions to the legs cannot hurt anything. If you decide it looks terrible, then you can try again. So... - Remove the top first. It should be screwed to the aprons from underneath from your picture. Store the top in some safe place to avoid dinging it as you work. - Choose a profile for the extension by drawing it on paper or cardboard stock. were it me, I'd go to the extent of drawing the whole leg, then cutting it out so my wife could ok the exact shape. No surprises. Surprises are bad. - Drill the legs and the extensions for a dowel insert. I'd go with at least a 1/2 inch dowel. 1 1/2 inches is deep enough. You can get packaged dowels for this from a local home center or by mail order. Make sure the dowel is just a bit shorter than the total hole depth. Too long of a dowel is bad. ;-) Drilling the table legs is best done with a drill press to make sure the holes are vertical. If no drill press, then do it carefully with a hand drill. Its easy to make a mistake here, so I'd try to find a friend with a drill press if possible. - Shape the extensions as planned. Test fit on the table legs. Make sure you are happy with how it looks now. - Sand and finish the extensions. Shellac might be a good choice of finish. - Test fit again. Put it together. Make sure you are happy before gluing. Use a woodworker's glue when done. Its best to finish before gluing, as its easiest to clean off a spot of glue after the finish is applied. You don't need too much glue anyway. If after some time you are unhappy with the result, then find a local group of woodworkers. In the Rochester NY area, its the RWS. See the attached link. They have a furniture maker's SIG. I'd bet you could find someone who would love to help out as long as you provided the materials and were willing to do part of the work. John Here is a link that might be useful: Rochester Woodworkers Society

There are people/companies who do restoration of all kinds of stuff including china and ceramics. My mother had a porcelain figure which had some damage and she had it fixed by a professional restorer. You can't tell where the restoration was unless of course you are someone in the industry who is extremely savvy and looking for restoration since that impacts the value of antiques. You could start by calling a local museum and asking to speak to someone in their conservation department. Or call an antique store in your area and find out who they might recommend. It is not cheap to have it restored professionally but it generally is worth it if the piece merits the expense because it will look as good as new. You might also cross post in the Antiques and Collectibles Forum. Although it's not an antique, people conversant with antiques would probably know how to find a restoration place in your location.

We have about the same size area and took out the coffee table. Too much furniture to walk around, we have smaller side tables for all seating except the middle of the sofa. We do have a nice ottoman and put a tray on it when necessary for drinks or serving. Kept the area inviting and open.