Tuesday, March 4, 2014

DIY Coffee Table Make-over, brighten your wood furniture with paint


I've had this solid wood coffee table since my first apartment, many years ago. It's been through a number of moves, and a long period in storage. I thought it was time to make it fresh again. I love the contrast of natural wood and bright white! Isn't it amazing what a little white paint can do?

What you'll need:
  • A piece of wood furniture you already have and want to refresh - or you could thrift something in need of some love
  • Painter's Tape
  • Sand paper
  • Krylon White Spray Paint (preferably with primer mixed in)
  • Clear Acrylic Laquer (also spray) 
The first thing you'll need to do is decide on the pattern or design you want for your piece. You can see (in the before) that the top of this table has a herringbone type pattern. I initially thought about making a chevron pattern on the top by taping off every other slat in the herringbone, then thought about diagonal stripes and finally decided on this square key design. 

Once you've got your work area set-up, you'll want to lightly sand the surface you'll be painting. I used 300 grit sandpaper and made sure that I sanded the entire surface I intended to paint. Make sure to vacuum away all the dust or use a tack cloth to clean off the surface before you start taping. 


Lay out your pattern with painter's tape, and be sure to cover the rest of the piece so you don't unintentionally paint other areas. I used a ruler to make sure my tape was laid out evenly and then taped some flyers around the edges to protect them and the table legs. 


Make sure that your surface is dust free and then spray away, applying thin and even coats. The toughest part of this project is the drying time. You have to be patient and make sure to allow enough time between coats for each layer to dry completely. I did 3 coats of white with about 1 hour between each coat. 


After the last coat of white, remove the tape before it dries completely, but not while it is still very wet. Allow some extra drying time to make sure that all layers are completely dry. The next step is to lightly sand your pattern. You may end up with some 'edges' where the tape was, and you'll want to lightly sand these and the entire area so you have a nice smooth surface for the lacquer. 

Wipe down the surface again making sure it is dust free before applying the first coat of lacquer. Then apply the first coat of lacquer in the same manner as the paint. This will need a much longer time to dry. I left mine overnight. 

Once completely dry, sand the entire surface. I used 1000 grit sandpaper. You don't want to scratch the surface, just make sure that it is smooth. Clean up the dust and apply a final coat of clear lacquer. 



Once it's dry, peel away the rest of the tape and admire your work! Let's have one more look at the before...

Tired old coffee table made fresh and new! Easy! and only $11.


Cost:
  • Table - on hand 
  • White spray paint - $7 at home depot
  • Clear lacquer - on hand
  • Painter's tape - $4 at home depot
  • Sand paper - on hand
Have fun with your project and be sure to link to photos in the comments. We'd love to see what you choose to brighten up!

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When she isn't refreshing furniture, Kat is busy designing and building her line of Hand Crafted Eco Luxury Jewellery & Accessories at aeliosdesign.

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