Our eat-in nook is in the shape of half a hexagon. And our “temporary” table was a hand-me-down Craigslist loaner from some friends — in the shape of an octagon. I should have known we were destined for each other. When I couldn’t find another table that expanded from 48″ to 81″ like this one did (split-pedestal round tables with these dimensions that aren’t several thousand-dollar Stickley tables are nonexistent, let me tell you), I knew the Craigslist one was meant for us. But it needed some love. The first round of refinishing looked almost like a Pinterest fail and I just couldn’t live with it. Thankfully the second time — finished over a year later — was the charm. Here’s what I learned in the process.
