I start by stripping the paint to see what kind of wood I'm dealing with. Surprise! The legs are metal. (I guess I could have knocked on them to determine this, but that's sort of how I roll.) Also, the suspended magazine rack is some sort of mid-grade fiberboard. Once I strip the paint off I realize I'm just going to paint it over anyway. No reason to strip it further. Photo 2 of 10 in Refurbishing A Lane Coffee Table by Katherine Raz

Refurbishing A Lane Coffee Table

2 of 10

I start by stripping the paint to see what kind of wood I'm dealing with. Surprise! The legs are metal. (I guess I could have knocked on them to determine this, but that's sort of how I roll.) Also, the suspended magazine rack is some sort of mid-grade fiberboard. Once I strip the paint off I realize I'm just going to paint it over anyway. No reason to strip it further.