It's the fourth Thursday of February and you know what that means, it's Furniture Fixer-Uppers Day. I had planned to share a fun mid-century modern makeover with you today. The fabric was purchased, the prep was started and then BAM I got hit with a bug that knocked me flat off my feet.

Determined not to miss this challenge, one sleepless night during a coughing fit I took my box of kleenex and pajama-clad body downstairs to find a piece of furniture that would take the least amount of physical exertion.

I kept putting off these turned leg nesting tables makeover because I couldn't decide on a paint color. When you feel like you've been hit by a bus, it's amazing how quickly you can make a decision.

Turned Leg Nesting Tables With Jacobean Floral Stenciled Tops

Pictured below is the trio of nesting tables pulled open...


The paint color looks rather dull in the photos because I had not applied a protective clear coat yet. Once I did, it really brought out the pretty green.

This is what the tables used to look like...


The plan was to take photos of each step to include in my tutorial but it took everything in me just to pick up a paintbrush, let alone a camera. Most of this makeover was done on a rolling mechanics stool - oh how I can't live without this gem in my workshop.

This post contains affiliate links so you can find the products I used or suggest to complete this project. If you make a purchase I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Prepping The Tables For Paint

I always have a bucket of warm water, rubber gloves, an old toothbrush, clean cloth, dish soap, and a bottle of liquid sander/deglosser at the ready to give these pieces a good scrub. You can see in the photo above there was paint splattered on the feet so I carefully removed it with a 3M scouring pad.

Because of the light glossy finish, I ran a medium grit sanding sponge over the wood to give the paint some bite. When using a mineral based chalk paint you don't necessarily have to do this step but I'd rather err on the side of caution.

It's hard to tell in the before photo but there were a lot of scratches on the top of the largest nesting table and so I filled those and sanded smooth once dry.

Painting The Nesting Table Trio

I used mineral-based chalk paint by Dixie Belle Paint Company in the color Sea Glass, isn't it such a pretty color? I love the self-leveling qualities of the paint. I like to dip just the tips of my brush in water first and then the paint to achieve long smooth strokes before having to reload my brush. It only took two coats for full coverage.

White Accent Detail On Painted Nesting Tables

To break up all the green I decided to add some accent detail with white paint. With a large script liner art brush and white acrylic craft paint, I painted all the grooves on the table skirts and feet.

Stenciling The Set Of Nesting Table Tops

I applied a Jacobean Floral stencil down the center horizontally across the top of each table using the same acrylic craft paint used to accent the grooves. I used a brush to apply the paint although a small foam roller would have been much quicker had my brain been functioning on all two cylinders.

I prefer using a swirling motion rather than dabbing motion when stenciling with a brush, offloading the excess paint onto a paper towel until my brush is almost dry.

I used Frog Delicate Surface Tape to hold the stencil onto the fairly fresh painted surface. Considering the paint was applied just mere hours before stenciling, I avoided using repositionable stencil spray adhesive.


I'm quite pleased with how these tables turned out, especially considering how sick I was. The color will be even deeper once I apply a clear coat satin finish.


Before I share more beauty shots, let's talk a little bit about the Furniture Fixer Uppers series.


It's a monthly series where six blogging friends, who have a passion for rescuing furniture that has seen it's better days, come together to bring you six furniture makeovers with tutorials and helpful tips. The goal is to inspire others to breath new life into dated furniture at a fraction of the cost of replacing it with something new.

If you missed our first challenge in January, I turned an old Mid-Century Modern Bookshelf into a Funky Bar.

Like the bar, my nesting tables were looking rather dated and beat up and not something you would want on display in your home. But they were in perfect working condition and would be a shame to end up in the landfill. With a little paint and some creativity, they were completely transformed and can be used for many years to come.


I'm quite pleased with how they turned out and I hope you like them too.


Are you as excited as I am to see how the talented gals in this group transformed these Fixer Uppers? We had a little chuckle over how two members picked the very same dresser.


Click the links below to see the finished makeovers and tutorials from the talented members of our group.