so i bought the buffet back in may. and then i had several posts about possible paint colors. i think the latest post on the buffet was asking your opinion about hardware. i am happy to say that the buffet is finally done!

i had decided after much debate that i wanted to try to keep the natural wood finish on the buffet. but the top was in really bad shape - lots of paint, scratches, and the finish was already coming off.


so i spent a lot of time sanding down the top until the finish was removed and most of the stains were gone.


based on a recommendation from one of you, i decided to go ahead and try to use a tung oil finish on the wood - and it worked wonderfully! i think i ended up putting 4 coats on, with a light sanding with fine steel wool between each coat. the top is not perfect, there are still some deep scratches, but i am ok with that. it is an old piece of furniture that has obviously been through a lot. i actually prefer it with some character.


i do want to point out a few other things in this photo.
1. i ended up picking my first choice for the new knobs. many of you commented on that post and actually prefered some of the other options (thank you for the comments!!), but in the end i went with the one that was the most simple. i also liked the chrome finish.
2. we had to cut out the bottom center portion of the buffet because it was sitting on top of the air conditioning vent. we tried to leave it alone but it was blocking too much cool air. we still need to finish the cut edges, but it's not super noticable.
3. did you notice the cocktail shaker?? my uncle sent that to me cause he thought i'd like it! he was right, i love it :-)
4. we also got a new lamp. and by new lamp, i mean i bought a not so good looking super sale lamp from homegoods:

and painted it. sorry for the out of focus picture. the lamp base was baby blue, and has some black marks on it. i thought the shape was fun, so i painted it high gloss white. and then i bought a plain white lampshade instead of the brown shade.


i really like having another piece of furniture in the dining room. the lamp also gives off great light, i've been turning it on at night even though we usually are sitting in the living room. it somehow makes both rooms seem much more warm and inviting.