Subject: American oak round pedestal dining table, purchased as "antique" around 1965. It was painted green at the time. Then my mother stripped the paint and stained it with a very dark stain. After many years of use, much of the stain has worn off and more of the grain is visible, less so in the center of the table. The pedestal remains very dark. In 2007 the table was appraised at $50 due to the dark stain which the appraiser said ruined the table's value.

Fast forward 10 years and now the table is in my house, a 1940 cottage not far from the beach. I'm curious if the surface can be stripped and refinished with a lighter grey-brown non-shiny finish, similar to a refined driftwood look, or what I have heard described as a wire brush look. A distant 3rd choice would be ceruse. I will do the work myself, though it's been many years since I have done any finish work on wood. "Shabby chic" paint treatments do not interest me.

Comments and recommendations?