Lane 2-Tier Pie Table Makeover

Sometimes you find a piece that checks all the boxes - beautiful curves, well-made, good bones, etc. - and it has to come home with you - but it takes awhile for the makeover inspiration to strike. That was the case with this Lane pie crust table. I spied it at a flea market a couple of years ago. I was able to negotiate the price down to $25, which was still a bit high for me (and for project pieces, back then). But it was in excellent shape and had a charm to it, and of course, it was Lane, so it was well-made. And so I knew at some point I’d give it a new life. And then into the storage unit it went! And stayed, and stayed, and stayed…

Before

Oh, how I wish I could find my before picture! Don’t you hate that? I know I took one - or more - but they’re long gone…sorry. I even searched online to find a similar unfinished one to give you an idea of what it looked like, but, surprisingly, I couldn’t find any! Boo.

So here’s the closest I could get with an online search:

Interestingly, while I was searching for a picture, I learned that this style is also called a Dumbwaiter Table, which is basically a side serving table. Dumb waiters were often used in pairs in large houses in England in the early 18th century. They were designed to be placed near the hostess’ seat, and would typically hold extra plates, silverware, dessert, liquor, etc.

I’m so inspired by all the furniture flippers out there, and I am online every day getting inspiration, tips, tricks and recommendations from these talented people. After much searching, I hit on the perfect pallette for this sweet piece. So let’s get to it!

I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I used.

Supplies

TSP
Scrubbing Sponge
Spray Bottles
Putty Knife
Bondo All-Purpose Putty
Surf Prep Sander
(Similar) Hand Sanding Kit
Tack Cloths
High-Density Foam Paint Roller Cover
Zibra Paintbrush
Zinsser Extreme Adhesion Primer
Melange One - Turtledove
Redesign by Prima Transfer - Natural Wonders
Redesign by Prima Transfer Tool
Polishing Sandpaper
Minwax Wipe-On Poly
Bar Keepers Friend

Prep

Though this pie table was in great shape, I noticed some gunk on the bottom of the tiers, so that got scraped off.

And since this pie table had been sitting in my stash for so long, it needed a good cleaning. As it’s a small piece, I used my go-to TSP in a spray bottle.

For years, I’ve used these great Scotch-Brite Dobie scrubbing sponge in my kitchen & bath. They are the best cleaning sponge - I use them on any surface. The pads are non-scratch and can tackle crusted-on stains like gum, wax and even stubborn mildew stains.. And now I’m using them on nearly every furniture flip.

After scrubbing with the TSP solution, I made sure to spray the pie table with plain water and wipe down to remove any residue.

Fill & Sand

I gave the piece a light scuff-sanding with my Surfprep sander and 220-grit sandpaper. While sanding the top, I noticed the screw in the middle of the tabletop that was holding the top tier on. It had been filled with wood filler, but needed to be freshened so it would be flush with the tabletop. So I filled with Bondo All-Purpose Putty, allowed to dry and re-sanded it smooth. I like this Bondo to repair pieces I plan to paint, because it’s fast-drying and won’t shrink. It sands smooth, so it won’t cause blemishes under paint.

Prime

Once I had everything clean, sanded, and wiped down with tack cloths to remove any sanding dust, I used Zinsser Extreme Adhesion Primer just in case of potential bleed-through since this is an older piece that I planned to paint a light color, and I had sanded all over, breaking the original seal. This primer also helps in making sure your paint adheres well. Since I had scuff-sanded and was planning to use an all-in-one (primer, paint & sealer) paint, I probably didn’t need the extra adhesion, but I have a lot of this primer on-hand and it was a good insurance policy that my buyer would have a durable, long-lasting finish.

It’s a good idea to flip a piece like this over when priming and painting, so you don’t miss anything. Once the bottom is dry, flip it over and prime the top. For this piece, I used my favorite high-density foam paint roller to apply both primer and paint.

Notice the wood Lazy Susan? I was lucky enough to find this Gigantic Lazy Susan at Goodwill - for $14.99! It’s perfect for working with smaller furniture pieces! Spin as you paint! I absolutely love thrifting - you never know what you’ll find!

The Fun Part - PAINT!

I left the primer to dry overnight and did the ‘scratch test’ the next day. I scratched the primed surface with my fingernail (in a discreet spot). Stuck like a charm - nothing came off - so it was time for color!

Neutrals are popular right now, so I chose a new color for me - Turtledove Taupe by Melange. This color is a warm, soft taupe gray with mushroom beige undertones.

Melange Paints is a small business located Sugar Land, Texas, making every batch of paint with their 8-person team. I love that it’s a woman and veteran-owned company. They offer 95 gorgeous shades in their Artisan Mineral and their all-in-one One by Melange formula. I’ve been using both but prefer the One line, since it’s primer, paint & sealer all in one - so less steps, and it goes on like a dream. The coverage is incredible, the adhesion is fantastic, and the even when applied with a (quality) paintbrush - the finish is buttery-smooth!!

I’ve used a lot of different paintbrushes. When I first started painting furniture, I was all about keepin’ it on the cheap, and honestly didn’t know that the differences in paintbrush quality would affect the quality of my work. Man, was I wrong. We all want a smooth, brush-free finish, right? I learned that a high-quality synthetic brush - plus technique - can make all the difference in your paint finish. My current fave is the Zibra Paintbrush line. At about $10 each, they’re a great mid-price-range brush. And, with proper care & cleaning, they can be used over & over. They’re a great investment.

Transfer

The colors of this Redesign with Prima middy transfer called Natural Wonders were perfectly complemented by the Melange One Turtledove Taupe background, and I was excited to use them together.

I cut apart the pieces and laid them out to get an idea of the overall design:

One of the hardest parts for me when applying transfers is how much or how little to use. Sometimes it’s hard to know when enough is enough, and I sure don’t want to start applying the transfer only to find I don’t like how it’s turning out! (Thankfully, I haven’t had that experience just yet - but we’ll see…)

I knew that, because the lower tier was larger, I wanted to balance the transfers by using larger flowers on the bottom and smaller ones on the top. After several arrangements - and walking away and coming back with fresh eyes - I liked the placement and felt confident moving ahead with the design.

Using the painters tape to keep the pieces and layers in place, I carefully - layer by layer of the design - peeled off the paper backing, repositioned the transfer piece, and used my Transfer Tool to burnish (rub) the transfer onto the surface. Then carefully pulled back the clear top layer, re-burnishing any spots that didn’t stick as I went along. Then, I used my fingers (or a soft cloth) to gently rub the surface of the transfer to ensure all of it adhered properly (especially the edges, which tend to pull up).

Seal - Topcoat

Now, I know I used the Melange One line, which includes a sealer. But I needed to seal the transfer to protect it. This time, I used Minwax Water-Based Polycrilic in a spray can. We’d finally gotten a nice Spring day (I live in the Midwest), so I brought the pie table outside to apply the poly. The first coat went on great, and I followed the manufacturer’s directions on wait time before applying a second coat.

That’s when things ‘turned south.’

I’ve been refinishing furniture for about 3 years, now. And, like anything else, it’s been a learning experience. Sometimes you sail through a project and everything goes great. Sometimes not.

So every project I share with you will have Frustrations, Flubs and Fails. Read to the end for today’s Flub, and how I worked around this unexpected turn in an otherwise fabulous flip.

Final Details

This elegant pie table had brass feet that were quite tarnished. Some Bar Keepers Friend and 0000-grade steel wool brought the shine right back.

The Finished (well, almost) Look!

Here is how this lovely pie table looks now!

Prima transfer complements the Melange paint finish perfectly.

And Now - Frustrations, Flubs and Fails!

This project’s Flub happened with the 2nd coat of poly. The 1st coat went on smoothly, but shortly after applying the 2nd coat, I started seeing bubbles in the transfer:

I know what you’re thinking - that’s a lot of bubbles!

At first, I thought it was because I’d been working outside and it was caused by the sunlight. But although warm, it was an overcast day. As soon as I noticed it, I brought the pie table back into the cool basement, hoping that would help deflate the bubbles. I walked away from the piece for a few days, and concentrated on other projects (aka I Scarlett O’Hara’d it: “I’ll think of it all tomorrow… After all, tomorrow is another day.”). When I returned to it, the bubbles seemed a little smaller, but were still there.

I knew there is only really one way to handle this issue. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best option at this point, other than stripping the piece and starting over.

First, you take a very small, sharp pin and you pop the bubbles, near their edge. Then you use your finger to gently but firmly roll across the bubble - towards your pinhole - to release the air and flatten the transfer to re-adhere to the surface:

Here is a flattened bubble.

The transfer has re-adhered, but there is a ridge where the bubble stretched out the transfer. Although not as noticeable, the best thing to do now is try to smooth it out.

Regular sandpaper is too rough and would wear off the transfer at the ridge. So I grabbed my package of assorted polishing paper. These wet/dry polishing papers are color-coded from finest to coarsest abrasion. I used the green, which is 600 grit.

I just want to mention that, at this point, I’m wingin’ it. I’d done an extensive online search to see if anyone else had a fix, and basically came up empty-handed. I understand that this transfer-bubbling problem happens occasionally (it wasn’t the first time it’d happened to me, but it had been years) - and it seems kinda strange that, given all the furniture flippers using transfers out there, none are not talking about it…

But I will talk about it.. I lightly sanded the transfer with the polishing paper - starting with a small spot - to see if/how it would work. The bubble ridge smoothed out nicely. Yay! So I continued polishing the rest of the transfers. Here is a transfer after polishing:

If you look closely, you can barely see the ridges, and it’s relatively smooth to the touch. Not perfect, but definitely better!

At this point, I know I need to re-seal the transfer to protect the newly-popped-and-polished areas. This makes me nervous. And I’m certainly not going to go the spray route again!

So I grab my favorite polycrilic - Minwax Wipe-On Poly. I sand the non-transferred areas of the pie table with 320-grit sandpaper to even out the overall finish, wipe everything down with a tack cloth, then wipe on a coat of the poly. The poly smoothed out the finish even more, and further lessened the appearance of the ridges where the bubbles had been. And now the whole piece is protected.

And that is this Lane pie crust table / dumbwaiter makeover!

Thanks for being here with me!
Catch you on the Flip Side!

Victoria