Coffee Table DIY


When we moved in to our apartment, we bought a cheap coffee table from a local furniture store. At $99 I thought we had stolen it! Even though it was paperboard, it had convenient storage and a nice wood look-alike finish. On the fateful day I was assembling it, I learned the lesson that furniture made from paperboard CAN NEVER substitute a piece made of wood. As I attempted to put the leg on, the piece broke. Yes, the brand new table had a broken leg! For a few months we used wood glue but eventually, the leg fell off altogether. So for a good six months our coffee table rested on a couple of books. *embarrassing*

 Anyway a few weeks ago I had enough of of our shoddy table. We went digging around thrift stores and found this cool wooden one. Even though the finish is to oak-y for my taste, I could tell it had potential.  


In one eventful Saturday, I managed to sand, stain, and paint this lil beauty. When my boyfriend came home, he didn't even realize it was the same table!


First, I sanded the table with sand paper. I used various grits and pressures for a various textured appearance. 


I added little strokes of the stain in various areas before I painted the white. As you see, there are spots where the paint looks like its peeling. This is from the stain underneath. Next I painted the white. This took about three coats. 


I used a grey wood stain for the top. However, I painted thick layers and didn't wipe them off. As such it took a long time to dry. Every nick on the table shows (which I like) however if you're looking for a cleaner look, try regular paint, spray paint or chalk paint. This took about two coats.



Finally, I finished with a THIN layer of polycrylic. After several weeks of use I added another thicker coat. I would recommend doing two coats at the time of refinishing.

More great DIYs and renos to come!

Lot of Love,
Anne 

No comments:

Post a Comment