IMHO - No.

I would not paint it either. You'd lose that interesting wood-grain top detail...

The design is really nice--I'm a quarter-sawn-oak-loving gal. The color goes well with the other warm tones in your room, and since we're due for another golden oak resurgence in, oh, 2050 (1890's, 1970's), I'd leave it unpainted. :)

no, I would refinsh it though ... bringing
it back to it's glory days.
It's a lovely table and looks great in your room.
Joann

I LOVE painted furniture but I would not paint that table - as it looks great in your LR. It pops off nicely with rug, and just seems to belong there.

(that is not to say, the table would not look fabulous painted - esp in a minimalist Swedish farmhouse. yum!)

I don't mind painting some pieces, but def. not yours!

Using in that room, with your furniture, etc. I would not paint it.

I say go for it! If it's not valuable and you're tired of it, why not paint it, especially if you have other nice wood pieces? And I'm not one to paint "nice" wood either but I can see where you're coming from.

If the darkness of the table is what's bothering you, you could always put a large, round doily/table topper on it to brighten it up. That's what I do sometimes when I get sick of wood.

I might paint everything except the top surface in a creamy color and distress that a bit, might even sand the top and darken the stain just a tad. Otherwise, I'd just use something like Restore A Finish to freshen up the the whole thing.

No, I wouldn't paint it either. I like the warmth and character the wood adds to the room.

I think it looks great in the room just as it is. The edges look a bit distressed already, adding softness and character IMO.

Nope...it looks perfect in the room as others have said. That table has beautiful detail. It would be spoiled if you painted it . Why not go to Goodwill or other 2nd hand places and get a piece and use the chalk paint that everyone is talking about. That way you get a painted piece and this table is saved. c

It's not quarter sawn oak, just plain oak, probably veneer. I love to refinish furniture, so if it were mine, I might see if that was possible giving it a darker stain. Have you tried cleaning it really well, and touching up the edges? That may be all it needs. I've done that with alot of older (not antique) pieces, and it freshens up the look.

Paint it satin black -- and add upholstery tacks along the main edge ....

I think it would look great painted. And distressing it would bring out that detail. So do you have enough different opinions to thoroughly confuse you yet? ;)

If you are itching to paint it, you could paint below the scallop and inside the dot black, but I like it like it is.

What color?

I also like it as is, but would freshen it up with a little cleaning, followed by Restor-a Finish and a wax buffing to make it glow.

I wouldn't paint it. It helps to pull out the lighter tones in the carpet, curtains and goes with the display above the fireplace. If you can have it refinished I would consider that idea.

I wouldn't paint it but I'd sure have fun playing with different stains. THat table has great detail that would really stand out with 2 or 3 different stain colors. It would require careful taping, gel stains and good stain pads but it's very do-able. I've done a lot of multi-stain floor designs and it's not hard, just requires attention to detail. You wouldn't even need to do any measuring as the design details are all right there for you.

No, It's fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a big fan of painted furniture (as you can see from my post on the painted furniture thread!) but I do like the warmth of the wood in your space.

Then again - that scallop detail would look great with a glazed finish. If you do paint, I would stick with a warm lighter color to highlight that detail.

Love your new paint and curtains!

I need a table exactly like that! Why is our CL so out of touch with my needs???

Oh, and as to painting, I could go either way. What color are you thinking? I also like the idea that dlm had of staining it, but I am not sure you want it to be too busy with more than one or two stains with all your other patterns (which is why I asked about you thoughts on color).

Still loving your 'new' green room!

Absolutely not!! It's a very nice golden oak piece...almost antique....perhaps even a real antique. I believe it was dining height, cut down.
If you want a painted coffee table buy a cheap ready to finish one and paint it....but don't ruin a nice patterned veneered top and interesting apron and legs.
If you paint it you will have made a piece of garage sale junk worth about $50 out of a very nice oak table.

I love Deb's idea of multiple wood toned stains. I was thinking if you want color then sand it down to the bone and use water based colored stains. Minwax has some really pretty colored stains.

Here is a link that might be useful: Minwax water based stain colors.

OK, if it were mine, it would already be painted. I am not a fan of the "pie slices" in the top of the table - I think it looks too 60s.
Absolutely love the detail on the sides and the little toes on the feet. It would look amazing painted with chalk paint and distressed a bit and waxed.
send it here to me. :)

Don't touch it. Don't even wax it or give it a luster. Keep it as is. The rasped edges & imperfections are perfect. I'm not an oak fan, but this is a nice banded bookmatch top & nice detail on the apron.

BTW, LOVE your entire room, auntjean!!!

~Jeana

This is SO weird..I am/was looking at a table on CL EXACTLY like your table...same design on the table top, same detail on the apron, and the same legs...so my guess its not a dining table top cut down to a coffee table.

To be completely honest, I was questioning whether the table was old and funky or a cool antiquey peice...but seeing your table cleared it up...It is definately a nice looking peice. Not funky at all. (even if it's not an antique)

Guess how much the CL seller is asking.....$25.

Her table is 40in wide and I was sorta hesitant in the size but I moved my DR table which is 40in wide into the LR to try for size and 40in would be ok in there...

What size width is your table?

And to answer your question, I think either would be good. Leaving it as it, restaining or even painting...Painting was my first idea of the one I was looking at, but seeing yours made me realize it looks nice with the stained wood as is.

I am a huge proponent of paint if you want to, but not this piece. I like it very much the way it is. I would consider accentuating some of it, however. Maybe darkening the legs or the trim around the table perimeter (paint the holes). I think there are things you can do to it, but paint the whole thing -- I wouldn't.

It adds such warmth to your pretty room as is~~

The wood tone of the tabletop ties in with your floors and other decor. I would leave the top (or refinish it) and paint the rest the same white as your other woodwork in the room. Beautiful space!

Nope- beautiful as is. Your room is great too! You recently repainted right?

i really like wood with leather... really, i prefer wood over painted most of the time anyway.... definitely keep it as is in your room! your room looks great!

No its beautiful Id like it,

Agree totally with cooperbailey, if it was mine it would have been painted as soon as it crossed the threshold. I could see a sort of restrained Mary Englebreit color scheme.... Lovely!

Wow! I didn't expect this many responses, but am so glad to read everyone's thoughts this afternoon! Looks like the general consensus is that I shouldn't paint it, or perhaps just refresh it. I'll admit that the thought of stripping and refinishing a piece strikes a bit of terror in my heart, thinking back to my middle school shop project of redoing a child's rolltop desk. (Turned out beautifully but I remember it was a royal PITA.) Not sure what Restor-a-Finish is, but I'll look it up.

Always1stepbehind, it does sound like the same table that you're looking at! Mine is also 40". $25 is a steal! I paid $100 for mine.

I wonder if I'm better off painting one of the other smaller tables in the room (to sate my obvious desire for something to paint!). The drum table is in very bad shape on the top, but I recently saw a table just like it featured in a blog and someone had painted the leather and distressed it, right along with the wood parts of the table. It looks great! The small chairside table is a real cheapo and I wouldn't be risking much at all by painting it.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I'd leave the other tables alone too....

I am supposed to go get that table this afternoon-I'm really excited. I like how the edges of your table is dark-I wonder if my table will be the same.

I wouldn't paint it. I like the way it ties together with your wood floors. It's a warm, cozy colour that reflects the way your room looks. It's a lovely room!

I would not paint it. Instead, I would strip it with a Furniture Refinisher that just removes the varnish, apply a stain if necessary and seal it with several coats of polyurethane for practicality.

I DEFINITELY would not paint either of the smaller tables. And the only thing I don't like about the bigger table is the top - I'm not a fan of how the wood is fitted so that the grain goes in different directions in different segments (though I do like the pronounced grain in general.) But aside from that, the wood tone goes very well in your room.

If you really want to paint something... why don't you either go out and buy an unfinished piece, or a TOTALLY junky piece which could really benefit from being painted? And maybe put it in another room. I like your room the way it is.

Jen if you really want to paint something go for the cheap table, the last one pictured though it doesn't look cheap at all.
And if you want to darken the coffee table it just dawned on me that I forgot to mention one of my favorite ways to stain something with very little prep work if any at all. Minwax Spray stain and poly mix. If you can spray paint you can spray stain. Lowe's and Menard's carries it.