Coffee Table Makeover

In the living room tour, you got a small glimpse of the mismatched coffee table made of 3 types of wood (and there was a reason the base wasn't a main feature!). Devin used the legs from a bigger coffee table that we trash-picked, got scrap wood for the sides, and put wood from our old bed's head board on top (#hesthebest). For a while, we liked the eclectic look of it, but eventually I decided it needed to be more uniform...less "in process" and more "this is clearly a finished table."

Before: 



My inspiration was this Joanna Gaines-y DIY, where they had white legs and a lighter colored top.


Here's what I did to get that look: 

Step 1: Prep your space. I used newspaper under the top, and flipped the legs up. I taped around the top so no paint would leak down onto the top of the coffee table. 

Step 2: Sand down your wood with a low-number grit. Then, go over it with a finer sandpaper. I really roughed it up, then went to town with the palm sander. 


Step 3: After sanding, there will be dust everywhere (which is why I set up shop on my front porch, instead of trying to do this inside.) Run a damp cloth over the legs and base of the coffee table. 


Step 4: Paint the legs! I used a paintbrush for more of a country/distressed look, but a paint sprayer would give a more seamless finish. Go eat lunch, fold a bit of laundry (or eat a few donuts and watch Parks & Rec on Netflix, no judgement here), then paint it all again. 2 coats should do it! (When this dries, you can also take that fine-grit sandpaper and randomly sand some spots to give it that distressed finish.)

Step 5: Sand down the top of the coffee table. 

Step 6: Tape the legs, and then use a roller to clearcoat the top. I used this satin finish polyurethane. (Because I was in such a rush to get this done, I didn't take any pictures of this part. Oops!)

After: 

Let's pretend you can't see that our front window still needs trim underneath it. One thing at a time, folks. (Plus, when you have a super cute baby to play with, house projects sometimes fall by the wayside!).

What projects have you been working on lately? What would you do to spruce up the coffee table--paint it a fun color, paint the entire thing, etc.?

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