A €40 oak table that sold for €420
Scandinavian Oak Dining Table · renovated by Maya Restores in Lisbon
$240
$45
$135
9 days
Sold for $420 — a 47% return on the total spend.
The renovation story
Somebody had painted this 1970s oak table a glossy dark brown, which is exactly why nobody bid on it. Under two layers of varnish was quarter-sawn oak in near-perfect shape. Four evenings of sanding, one bottle of Danish oil, and a weekend of curing later it photographed like a showroom piece. The buyer drove three hours to collect it.
DIY guide
- 1
Strip the old varnish
Work outdoors with a chemical stripper, then scrape with a plastic blade so you don't score the grain.
- 2
Sand progressively
Start at 120 grit across the whole top, finish at 240 grit going with the grain. Vacuum between passes.
- 3
Fill and spot-sand
Two small dents got wood filler tinted with sanding dust, then a light 240 grit pass once dry.
- 4
Oil in thin coats
Three coats of Danish oil, 6 hours apart, wiping back every time. Thin coats beat thick ones every time.
- 5
Cure and photograph
Leave 48 hours before styling. Shoot near a window with nothing else in frame.