A little restoration

I have been meaning to try to restore this table for, oh, as long as I can remember. It used to be the telephone table in my parents' house and I inherited it on the promise that I would bring the lustre back to the wood and replace the leather insert.


Apart from an occasional wipe over with Pledge I didn't do anything to this table because I was worried I would do more harm than good. Then I heard about Restore-A-Finish. Instead of stripping the table I could blend out the scratches and water marks while bringing back the color, restoring it without damaging the existing finish.


I lightly sanded the worst blemishes and applied the Restore-A-Finish with a white stain pad. It took no time at all. Then I wiped off the excess. The legs look a lot better. They're not perfect but they've been splashed with floor cleaner many times in the past so I don't know if they would ever be perfect.


The top is amazing. All the rings disappeared along with the scratches. What is left are the ink marks. These were caused by me doing my homework at the desk and filling my fountain pen (yes we had to use fountain pens in European schools, still do, in fact) there, against the express instructions of my mother. I guess that will be a permanent reminder of childhood.
All in all I'm happy with my attempt at preserving the table. It cost less tha $20 and I probably have enough Restore-A-Finish to go over all the wood trim in the house. I have yet to do anything about replacing the leather top, though.