Coffee Table With Shelf Which Is Easier? To Strip A Finished Table Or Sand It Down. I Have Sanded The Top But Have A Lower Shelf To Do

Which is easier? To strip a finished table or sand it down. I have sanded the top but have a lower shelf to do - coffee table with shelf

This is a coffee table with top soil and the second creates areas of hard sand. Should I go ahead and strip and sand or chemically.