Coffee Table Makeover…Friends, my poor husband has had to park his car out in the driveway for the last few weeks now. Between my evergrowing collection of tools, irresistible project pieces that I just can’t say no to, and furniture that I am building, I have officially taken over not only the 3rd garage bay but now my “creative habit” has crept over into his space too. Thankfully he fully supports my love and passion for this stuff and never complains. But winter is coming and I’m going to start to feel very guilty if his poor car has to stay outside in those frigid temps.
Today I made a small step towards freeing up some space. I am donating a furniture piece to a local banquet/fundraiser. Originally, my plan was to build a farm table. BUT I didn’t take into consideration the timing of when this item would need to be finished. The banquet and our annual Florida trip fell right at the same time. Not good planning on my part. :( So, I had to go with a Plan B.
Having acquired this coffee table over the summer, I decided it would be a quick and easy piece to makeover and still appealing enough for a silent auction. Although it’s not a farm table, it was better than backing out of the whole thing altogether….
I am so happy with how it turned out. Painting and distressing furniture is one of my favorite things to do. I can just get in the zone and not really have to think about it. Such a simple task. Here’s how I do it…
QUICK & EASY COFFEE TABLE MAKEOVER
First I thoroughly sanded the entire piece. Primarily because it was such an old coffee table and I wanted to make sure it was good and clean. So after spraying it down with TSP cleaner and sanding it well, I was ready to stain the legs and apron…
I used General Finishes Gray Gel Stain…
Gel stain is very thick and requires at least 24 hours to dry. So after letting the coffee table sit overnight, I was ready to add yet another layer of paint. I painted Bungalow 47 Furniture Paint (Farmhouse Sink) over the gray gel stain. Giving it two coats, here’s what it looked like…
Unlike gel stain, chalk paint actually dries very quickly. So, I was ready to start distressing in no time. With a 220-grit sheet of sandpaper, I sanded over all of the white. The reasoning for this was two-fold. 1.) Because chalk paint is very gritty feeling and I wanted to give the coffee table a very smooth finish. 2.) Because this was the technique I used to distress it. Sanding harder and more aggressively in some areas, I was able to uncover the gray gel stain, allowing it to show through. The piece now looked like this…
Now I was ready to add a protectant. I chose to use Annie Sloan Clear Wax. Simply apply the wax with a brush similar to this one…
Do a section at a time, letting the wax sit for a few minutes before wiping it off. Wax gives that true furniture-store-smooth feeling to most any furniture piece…
With so many waxes to choose from, it really depends on the look you are going for. My favorites are Clear, Black, Antique, and Furniture wax. You really can’t go wrong with Miss Mustard Seed or Annie Sloan…
I finished these furniture pieces with Black Wax. And here’s a look at a sofa table that I applied Antique Wax to.
As you can see, each wax has it’s own distinct look. For this coffee table makeover, I really liked the white paint and didn’t want to take away from that. So, I went with Clear Wax.
Now that I had applied my wax, the bottom part was done and I was ready to finish the top. I chose General Finishes Black Gel Stain for the top of my coffee table…
Gel stain is awesome! It is my favorite stain! I love that you don’t have to sand before applying it and the thicker you apply it the darker it is. This is after just one coat of gel stain…
Quick tip: The directions say to wipe off your excess stain. However, if you want a darker look, I recommend leaving it as it is and not wiping it off.
Add a few coats of poly over the gel stain to give it a strong, scratch resistant top.
As you can see, I gave the drawer a different look to kind of make it stand out a little bit. I did this by simply adding black wax instead of clear. Notice how the black wax completely changes the look compared to the clear wax…
I also added a pull knob that I had left over from another project. (Knob is from Target)
Don’t be afraid to play with different types of waxes. They can bring about so many different effects to a furniture piece.
I think this coffee table will really make a statement in someone’s family room. I’m very happy with how this makeover turned out. It’s kinda tempting to keep it for myself. :)
Designer Tip: When It Might Be Time to Bring in Help
If you’re working on your home and things still don’t feel quite right, you’re not alone. Many of our clients start exactly where you are now. They’ve gathered ideas, saved inspiration photos, and maybe even purchased a few pieces, but the space still doesn’t feel cohesive. That’s often the moment when having a designer can make all the difference. We help homeowners create a clear plan so every decision works together. From layout and furniture placement to finishes and lighting, the goal is a space that feels thoughtful, comfortable, and complete.
If you’d like a little guidance with your space, you can learn more about our interior design services below.
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Until next time,
Happy Building!!
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