Tell him to repaint with the paint he was told to use and on his dime. To me it looks fine but thta is not the point . Waht did you use for the sample board though.

The problem is I didn't tell him what product to use --- that's on me, I think I have to eat this one...

One thing that strikes me is that the table is rustic design but has a modern coating. I think the disparity between the two is jarring. If it was a rustic shabby chic treatment with some dimension, it might work better. There are many painting techniques to achieve this look. One is a brown stain wash over the top and wiped off (to "dirty" it up) might knock down the plastic look a little.

It's just paint lol.... tables are pretty easy to do, have fun with it and you will have a fun piece you really like.

Can I do a stain wipe over the acrylic finish? Or sand it down first?

You would definitely have to sand it well first since its so glossy. However, I would prefer the solid color like you have than the picture above, that looks like it should be scrubbed hard to get the dirt off LOL Sorry, but, I hate distressing.

What did you want it to look like? What style are you trying to achieve?

If you just want something less glossy he should be able to coat the whole table with a clear coat with a matte finish.

The table isn't going to be made a whole lot better by adding more paint or doing anything with the finish - it is still going to look like blocks of wood screwed together and there is quite a bit of damage to the top and edges.

You may be better off buying something new.

"...and there is quite a bit of damage to the top and edges."

That was intentional, the way the table was made had some distressing. Looked really good as a stained wood table before I messed with it. :0(

Maybe this is another example of something that shouldn't be painted.

I could always stick it in the basement and use it as a work table and just buy another table for this my home office.

Cabinet Coat does have a plastic look to it.

I was curious about CC and PPG's Breakthrough paints. Used Breakthrough on a built in closet, the doors & drawers, in one room and Cabinet Coat on a cabinet in the laundry room. I prefer the look of Breakthrough over Cabinet Coat.

^^ LOL yea it kinda does, doesn't it?

So it's in your office? Were it in your breakfast room, where your toddlers were spilling things and you were shelling peas on it, that looks like a durable and easy to clean finish.

Has he just now finished it? Any chance it could grow on you? You said its photographing better than it really looks, but it honestly doesn't look bad to me.

I use my home office daily. It can take a beating and I do get things dirty. I have flowers often on my work table, sometimes my lunch (or breakfast). In the evening an occasional glass of wine. Lot of things with ink, printing, pages with colors fresh from my printer - you know the routine.

I've had an offwhite antiqued desk the last many years and am currently beginning to explore all new office furniture ;) Tired of using a slightly soapy rag and quickly drying.....and that's after I've moved all my paraphernalia onto the floor.

I have a full-sized desk in there; this little side table is just to keep my calendar and a basket with misc items in -- very light use. IDK if it will grow on me...the room isn't finished yet, maybe when all the wood trim and doors go in it will take the focus off the table. But I kinda don't think so -- the finish is just so....plastic-y...plus like I mentioned the color match is off, I really don't like the color -- it's close but there's something about it that makes it wrong, if that makes sense.

@porkchop_z5b_MI - it makes perfect sense, sometimes a small difference in color makes a huge difference in the impact.

I repainted my spare room changing from Beach Glass to Silvermist. Most people didn't notice the difference, but I noticed the push from blue toward green.

Just FYI - Benjamin Moore owns Insul-X, so yes, Cabinet Coat is Benjamin Moore paint. And in this case, probably the best paint (acrylic urethane) they sell for cabinets or a table. It does come in either satin or semi-gloss, so satin might have been a better choice.

To make it more rustic, can you repaint just the legs in a chocolate or espresso color?

Ya don't just sand over acrylic poly--it's going to need stripper before you can do much more with it. That acrylic finish is pretty solid.

As @Mary Elizabeth pointed out, Insul-X Cabinet Coat is a Benjamin Moore product and the only coating they have that is marketed as a cabinet coating.

There is a satin available that might dull it a bit, but it may still be too glossy for you, so up to you on throwing more money at this.

ETA: Tables in general are not difficult to sand and this one doesn’t appear too bad, some of the distressing would be altered a bit but it will still look fine. I am not personally a big fan of modern coatings on distressed pieces. I think most of them tend to look plasticky.

If the only problem is the shiny plastic sheen , try a very fine 400 grit (or finer) sandpaper to just sand the gloss off but be careful not to cut through the entire paint film. Theres also various deglossing methods -maybe experiment on the sample piece. If color is flat instead of gloss it will look a little lighter, you might like it better.

If you're going to try and "rub out" the finish, you MUST wait until it is fully cured since it's a waterborne product! And I would recommend something MUCH finer than 400, and maybe even using a smaill amount of soapy water or other lubricant along with the abrasive.