I’m not writing today’s post to whine, complain & pout. Well, maybe just a little bit. Maybe you can relate? Of course most of you would read all about a table & really do your research before making a significant purchase. I’m not most of you. I’m a little schoolgirl who got all giddy inside finding a great deal on a beautiful piece after spending two months searching for the unattainable. I had a dream. The dream of a long antique wood table that would only look better with age & the wear of our family. A table that would seat our family, friends & their children – all at the same table. A piece with a history that would add character & charm to our home. After months of searching online & calling stalking antique stores, I found an unbelievably gorgeous 10′ table that made my heart skip a beat. It was just 24″ wide. Yeah, narrow.
In the midst of endless calls & visits to antique stores, Craigslist searches & word of mouth campaigning to friends to keep their eyes open, I was also looking into alternative options. I kept returning to the Williams Sonoma harvest table, the Restoration Hardware trestle table, the Restoration Hardware baluster table {which I eliminated because it was veneer} & having one made. I have not seen Williams Sonoma’s table in person & was a little concerned about veneer due to the description. Not to mention, it’s heavy price tag. I loved that Restoration Hardware’s trestle table had a history behind it – even if recently constructed. The boards were reclaimed & sent from Europe, with nail holes exposed. The soft subtle patina is gorgeous & there’s not much better than solid wood. So, you won’t be surprised that on my bi-weekly scout {stalk} to the Restoration Hardware Outlet, I had to make the table mine & finally put my mind to rest.
There she is, in all her glory, just after it was delivered. I snapped this quick iPhone photo to share my excitement with Chris. I didn’t realize it would be my last. Yes, dramatic. That evening, excited to share our first family dinner at our new table, I ordered pizza. Please don’t judge. One of the girls {I’m not naming names} put her sweet little greasy fingers on the table. No big deal, right? WRONG! I immediately panicked. Why would I buy a table that could add such anxiety? I did what any lunatic mom would do & pulled out my Mrs. Meyers cleaning spray. One spray & I knew…bad choice. As panic ensued, I started wiping the mess away with wet paper towels. It was all downhill from there. That’s the moment I realized that this was a catalog table. Looks gorgeous in a catalog, but not in a home that is lived in. I had a couple glasses of wine while Chris researched.
We considered tung oil – I had used it for my harvest table & had good luck with it, but that was a $50 table from Craigslist, this one cost a bit more & we wanted to really protect it from water so that I don’t have to continue drinking a couple glasses of wine a night after dinner to relieve my anxiety. Restoration Hardware’s solution? “Clear furniture wax can be applied to protect the finish from minor spills. Use coasters or placemats to help prevent marks or stains. Avoid mineral oil as its usage could discolor the wood. Wipe the table clean with a soft, dry cloth after each use.” Placemats & dry cloths? Clearly no children have been harmed in the testing of their furniture, because they have not been child tested. The finish washed off with water. I love the idea of wax, but again, little to no protection against water. Chris kindly spent hours researching products & we settled on Waterlox. It’s supposed to be the best protection with minimal sheen. It’s a non-toxic tung oil & resin finish. Sounds great, right? The guy at the woodworking shop we purchased it from highly recommended it. While it will provide the best protection, I’m not in love with the finish & how it altered the appearance of the table. You can see from the photo below the difference in color from the protected top to the raw legs.
Now, the difference from the table to the unaltered leaf {below}:
Now I’m contemplating to continue with the best protection or lightly sand to remove it & use traditional tung oil that was used on Chinese ships for waterproofing & risk a little wear & tear, which is what I wanted in the first place. Heavy thoughts for a Friday afternoon, aren’t they? So why am I writing about this? First, it’s weighed heavily on my mind for the past week. Second, there is a lack of quality information on this subject. After all, Restoration isn’t going to tell you in store that you can’t wipe it clean with a damp washcloth. In fact, I was told that it has a protectant coat on it, is their most popular table among families & is child friendly in store. I’ll keep you posted as I continue to test, learn & finally complete the breakfast room. For now, a little recap:
wax – offers only minimal, short-term protection & sits on top of the finish, so doesn’t alter or ever so-slightly-alters appearance.
tung oil – some protection, only slightly alters the table.
Waterlox tung oil/varnish – best protection {per Waterlox}, darkens the wood up to 5 shades.
Of course there’s always lacquer & varnish as well.
Several readers have commented with some new products that they’ve had success with as well – take time to peruse them and see what’s right for you.
I’d like to take a moment to thank my husband, Chris as he has worked diligently to make me happy through this process. When I purchased the table, I thought I was checking a to do off my list & he has spent countless hours trying to make it right. I promise to resume to amazing recipes & home decor tomorrow, but hope you have found this helpful.
Have a great weekend!
Julie
Hi, I’m wondering if you could tell me what size you got in this table? I am debating ordering but I am having trouble determining what size to order, with not knowing how the placement of chairs between the trestles would end up. I’d like it to seat a certain amount but also don’t trust websites that say it will seat x,y,z, when it technically may seat that many but not while looking right. Make sense? Thanks!
We seat up to 14 at the 84″ with the leaves.
Hi..just came across your post and was wondering how your table is holding up? We are in the process of purchasing of purchasing a dining room table (for our 1st home/planning to use daily) and just placed an order for the Salvaged Wood Trestle Table, but after reading all these negative reviews on the “salvaged” finish I am starting to have doubts if the right decision.Really the like the look of the table, but not sure about the finish as not one to go for the extremely “beat up/worn in” look and don’t want to drive myself crazy. The salesperson recommended getting and could always switch out if hate as the leave flexibility is a great option to have. Also think the 17th C. French Bastide Oak collection gives a similar look without the extremely rustic/distressed look…have you heard anything about the “textured” oak finishes Or the Weathered/Acaia in the 17th C Monastery/Priory finishes being more durable/smoother finish? We have 2 small kids so would like to be somewhat practical as well. Any insight could provide it helping to make a final decision would be greatly appreciated.
With the tung oil, it’s extremely practical and we love it.
Rebecca, you may also want to read my other related post as well.
Really well written post! I find it very helpful as I need to get one lovely hardware wooden table restorated! I was not even sure how to clean it, so thanks! xx
Thanks, Sarah!
This blog has been such a help – read it all before placing the order and figured there has to be a way to protect this table. My RH salvaged wood trestle table arrived last week and I’ve experimented with a few finishes using the underside of the leaves. The pure tung oil (Original Milk Paint Co.) looks good but slightly darkens the wood and leaves a mild sheen. At the paint store I spotted a product by Varathane called Soft Touch Matte Polyurethane and figured it was worth a try even though poly usually makes wood look like it’s been coated in plastic. Had already tried regular water based poly (Minwax satin Polycrylic) which darkened the wood and pretty much made the powder coat disappear and may try oil based satin poly but have heard it will amber over time so may not like the effect. Would have liked to just live with the unfinished wood but have young grandchildren and know there will be many spills. With two coats done so far, it’s almost invisible and can’t really be felt. There is no shine and the wood looks as close to unfinished as it may be possible to achieve – still has the original dusty look and feel. Will do a water drop test to see if two coats are sufficient and if they are then I could happily live with the look of the matte poly which has soaked into the wood and isn’t just sitting on it like a regular poly or varnish finish. I have no idea why the Varathane product didn’t take away the dusty look of the powder coat as the Minwax did – does anyone have an explanation for this?
Hey Julie – I can’t thank you enough for this post! We too bought the exact same RH table & it now looks terrible. Within days our son spilled his drink all over it & now after a dinner party this weekend we have a horrible white spot where someone tried to wipe something off if after a spill. Not to mention the other 100 spills in between. Anyway – We’re going to try the Tung Oil – Do you have to sand the table first? Do you just rub it on? Any special technique? And now after all this time, are you at least semi-satisfied with the tung oil protection & look of the table? Geez, what a disappointment. We too thought this was the perfect table for our new home.
If I were you, I’d probably lightly wipe the finish off so that you don’t notice those spots, but you can use tung oil directly on top of it. I would not sand! No special technique – it’s incredibly easy. We are beyond happy with it because we have the worn look of the wood blended with the protection to make it a fuss free table.
Hi julie! My natural harvest trestle table arrives this week and I’m going to follow the instructions you used for your second table as you have said it preserved the original look while offering protection. You mentioned in previous posts you used 100% tung oil (woodcraft brand). I can’t seem to find that brand online? Could you confirm the exact brand oil you used? And how much I may need? I’m getting the 96 inch table and will be doing the top, extensions and base as you did. Thank you so much in advance for your assistance!
And to confirm what you posted previously…leave the powder coat on, apply tung oil over it with white cloth and immediately wipe off with another cloth? Sorry for the repetition, I’m nervous and trust your experiences and taste so I want to do exactly what you did! Thanks again!
If you search “Woodcraft tung oil” it’s the first thing that comes up on Google. We used 1.5 standard sized bottles. YES! We were really happy with it. Don’t rub too hard putting it on, just slow and gentle.
oops I meant rubio monocoat-apparently my computer autocorrected it!
I recently purchased this same table and ended up putting rubio monocrat on it and I hate it! It darkened my table by several shades-its now a dark brown. How did you get the waterlox off? Did you just sand it off? I have been hesitant to sand it because I don’t want to take away from the more rustic finish but I’ve got to get this dark color off my table! Also how has the tung oil held up?
The tung oil has held up extremely well. I’m not sure what rubio monocrat is, but I’m going to look it up! We used some orange wax to remove it, but it gets in each crevice and is impossible to get out. Good luck!
Thank you so much for posting this on your blog. I appreciate the comments and am happy to know I can get the look I want, with the protection I need.
Can you tell me how much Tung Oil you used on the table?
Thanks!
Almost a bottle. You’ll love it!
Thank you SO much for your kind words, thoughts & patience! I’ve written another post about our Restoration Hardware table & hope it will help others to move forward as well! https://julieblanner.com/restoration-hardware-table-eh-nightmare/
any update on the potential solution? I am in the same situation, having bought a nice table but am now afraid to use it and not sure how to protect it!
I just spotted this post and am thankful for it. We recently moved and have invested some good money in our dream furniture from RH. Just got the round reclaimed wood table base with the concrete top delivered yesterday – 2 months after ordering it! We chose concrete because we thought it would be indestructible for our small kids. Sure enough, 1 hour after it was delivered, we left spots on the table from rice falling from my son’s bowl. I scrubbed with water, with a gentle dish cleaner – it helped a bit, but the spots are still there. I called them asking how to care for it and they said “wipe up spills quickly to avoid staining.” Well you couldn’t have wiped them up quicker than I did. I mentioned there was a triangle shaped discoloration on the surface when they unpacked it. They were great about doing an exchange, but now I’m thinking I’ll change the table altogether. I’m thinking of the darker concrete top that has a sealant on it, but of course the care instructions say the same thing. Arrgh! There is some information about using Holloway House Lemon Oil over the entire surface to make small marks and scratches disappear. So at least there’s something more helpful than “don’t actually use this table”, but I’m not entirely hopeful. I’m disappointed for all of us who took the plunge and spent the money in hopes of a timeless piece we could love for a long time. It’s shameful to charge so much for something that can’t even stand up to 1 meal! I’ll be checking back for any helpful updates!
What did you decide to do, Erin? I wouldn’t have thought that rice would leave marks either. I LOVE my living room furniture from them, but feel their dining tables are far from usable.
I know this is an old thread, but wondering what Erin ended up doing about her concrete top table. I’m looking at purchasing that table and worried about the care.
Julie,
My wife and I have the same problem. Have you figured a solution out? It is a beautiful table and I love the look it gives our house but it is so fragile.
So sorry, Andrew! I think I’m close, but I want to test it before I share so that I don’t lead anyone down the wrong path. I hope to have an update in a couple weeks.
Isn’t that the worst? When you pay good money for something you’ve been longing for and have issues with it? I’m so sorry! Hope you get it resolved. I think it looks just as beautiful a bit darker, but I know how it is when you get something specific in mind. 🙂
Thanks, Gwen! I resisted the temptation to DIY & I’m still diy’ing! I’m so close to a solution & moving on. Whew! See you soon!
Ok…. I’m slightly hyperventilating over here as my Mom purchased me the RH boulangerie table for our brand new home that’s finishing being built in 22 days. It’s covered in the garage right now to stay safe but all I was told is that it needs one coat of furniture wax and I’ll be good to go! So basically I’ll have a runner + coasters + placemats available at ALL TIMES with this table. Can’t wait to hear if you find something that gives you the results you’re waiting for! … and Cheers to your husband!
You, too? I am still in awe that they are not upfront about it in store. Did you read about it online? Eek! I’ll keep you posted with what we decide to do! Enjoy your new home!
We had the same problem with our RH Boulangerie table (only with a cup of milk spilled after only owning our new table for less than a week). It literally ate the finish off our table. I will be checking for updates on your solution on an hourly basis. Just kidding…sort of.
My apologies for laughing hysterically! It gave me a little relief to know that I’m not the only one. I think I have a great solution, if all goes well, I’ll have an update soon!
Julie… What.a.nightmare.
If anyone can find a solution, it’s you. But still. That is surprising to me as well!
Thanks, Claire! I’m still surprised, but working to resolve it.
I can totally sympathize with you! When my children were little I purchased a couple of beautiful pieces of Danish pine furniture. It was only a matter of days before they were each permanently marked during the course of ordinary living.
We ended up (don’t judge here, either please) polyurethaning the dining room table! Today my children are grown, and I would love to get that original look back. We will likely try to sand it. What I do want to share with you is what the antique store owner used, and that is Briwax. It requires lots of elbow grease to apply, and has to be re-done periodically.
I can only imagine how beautiful your pieces were. I won’t judge at all, Chris! I just can’t decide what to do, so it’s been a statue in our breakfast room. I appreciate the info & will definitely look into it! Thanks a lot!
RH furniture is made by a company called Van Thiel (they also make Ralph Lauren pieces). I work at a furniture store that used to carry Van Thiel but stopped because of quality issues. We have a huge round dining table of theirs that looks cool, but it’s not made to handle the wear and tear that comes from actually eating meals at it. It’s totally a catalogue-life table and not real-life table. 🙁 I hope you guys find a good solution because your table *is* awesome. I’m sure you’ll work it out!
Thanks, Kate! I have really loved our living room & dining room upholstered furniture, so I didn’t see it coming. That is great to know! I appreciate the encouragement!
PLEASE can you email me when you come up with a solution? I bought a vinyl tablecloth to go under my regular tablecloth to protect my RH table, but it’s such an inelegant solution. I also think the wood needs some sort of finish before the heat turns on this year (NYC apartment with no control over the temp). I’m slightly worried the humidity will drop, the heat will blast and my table will splinter since the wood is quite dry.
Oh no, Cathy! I have a feeling there are several of us who are in this situation. I can only imagine that you didn’t purchase a table to cover it with 2 cloths! I will definitely keep you posted!
I ended up trying the furniture wax. I put one coat all over the table and legs, but my wax dried WHITE in the nooks and crannies. Yikes! I think I’ll try a second coat of wax to fully seal it, followed by a buff with a soft brush to remove the excess in the those holes. Has anybody else experienced this with the clear furniture wax?
I bought the natural finish trestle table from RH and mainly chose it because of the wood used to make it along with the great finish. But once home my first thought if any grease or such gets on this table that’s it. So I had Minwax Polycrylic in matte recommended to me as a finish with the least amount of shine.
Well it’s shiny and it turned the wood darker with a lot more honey tones to it instead of the light grey wood tones. So if you like the finish as is this too does not work.