Ash & Ebony Oak End Tables

Modernized Solid Pine Hand Crafted Heart Wall Shelf

Bringing New Life to a Country Classic. We’ve all seen them: those solid, well-built pine shelves from the 80s and 90s that have a lot of heart (literally) but are stuck in that unmistakable "orange" stain era. While the craftsmanship is top-tier (this one was hand crafted by my father in law), the color can often feel a bit too retro for a contemporary home. In this tutorial, I’m showing you how to take a vintage 9-cubby wall shelf and transform it from a dated relic into a bolder, fresher, and more current statement piece. By applying a rich chestnut brown stain , we’ve traded that brassy orange hue for a deep, sophisticated tone that highlights the wood grain. Follow along as I walk you through the prep, the staining process, and how this simple color shift completely changes the vibe of the piece—making those iconic heart cutouts feel intentional and chic rather than just "country."

A good friend gave me her solid oak end tables to makeover. Being solid wood they have years of use left but the dated orange stain needed to go.

Both were scrubbed I thought well but after dry and a coat of black stain was applied,

this happened. The stain repelled on many areas which would indicate that a product like Pledge was used over the years.

The best solution at this point was to power sand lightly to smooth the pitted stain and change the plan to Fusion Mineral Paint

Their charcoal color called ash was brushed on with a good synthetic brush. This highly pigmented paint required only 1 solid coat with a few touch ups once dry.