It must run in the family. The thrifting gene.
Because actually, years before I ever really could appreciate it, my mother taught me everything I know about being a frugal penny-pinching diva. (And I mean that in the most loving way possible.)
Last week, I got a text message from my bestie/maja/older twin with a picture of this shabby little guy:
It had peeling veneer, a scratched top, and was covered all over in dust, but my fingers couldn’t type “GET IT!” fast enough to make my thrifty heart happy. My mom might be as much of a thrift store addict as I am. And she just knew I’d be all over this abandoned coffee table. She was so right.
This one was easy, and I’m sorry to say I was so speedy about it that I didn’t even write a tutorial about the makeover process. I’m slacking y’all! I love you, I promise.
All it took was a quick cleaning, some wood putty for the damaged corner, two coats of Valspar Blackstrap paint, and a few 1×4 boards finished with my favorite DIY stain, and this baby was ready for a new life.
Ahem…do you see that AMAZING wood beam doorway behind our sofa? Just wait, friends. That’s a comin’.
If it weren’t for our dire need of toy storage in our living room with our card catalog coffee table trunk, I would have been ready to keep this one.
But its new owner will be picking it up tomorrow. I’m sorry, little table; it’s me not you.
Moral of the story though: If you ever come across a table that has veneer peeling up and a horribly scratched top, wood planks and wood putty are your best friends.
It almost reminds me of those steel and reclaimed wood tables I see everywhere now.
I really don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this DIY wood stain finish. I use it on everything now! Plank walls, mail organizers, growth charts, you name it.
After trying this method out, I’m wishing I’ll find more tables with scratched tops on every thrifting trip.
Is this one for the books, ya think? The more furniture I makeover, the more I want to keep it all. It’s totally normal for a living room to have two coffee tables, right? I mean, we don’t really need to walk around in here or anything, do we?
One day, when we’re past the toy storage stage, maybe one like this can happen.
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Tara says
July 7, 2015 at 11:09 amThis is gorgeous! It’s always a little sad when I make over a piece of furniture and I have nowhere to put it! But at least someone can enjoy it!
Lauren says
July 7, 2015 at 9:24 pmI know! It’s hard saying goodbye to those pieces you sort of bonded with in the refinishing process. Haha I’m glad someone else can appreciate it though.
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom says
July 7, 2015 at 11:30 amThis looks just great and I really like the color of stain you used for the boards on the top of the table. I would love to do this with a table in our family room!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Lauren says
July 7, 2015 at 9:23 pmIt’s SO awesome. I’m hooked on this stain! Thanks, Carrie! If you try it, hope it turns out well!
Rebekah // Charming Imperfections says
July 7, 2015 at 12:19 pmI almost thought this was one of those trendy steel/reclaimed wood tables! Very good job fixing this little guy up! I love the way it turned out.
Lauren says
July 7, 2015 at 9:22 pmThanks, Rebekah! It was the look I was going for so glad it almost fooled you!
Amy | Canary Street Crafts says
July 7, 2015 at 1:06 pmLove that DIY barn wood top! It’s gorgeous, Lauren.
Lauren says
July 7, 2015 at 9:22 pmThanks, friend! I’m loving it too. 🙂
Lisal says
July 7, 2015 at 8:21 pmSo wht is the wood stain you are in love with? Looks great but do not see it on the post!!!!! I quiring minds want to know!!!!
Lauren says
July 7, 2015 at 9:19 pmI linked my DIY stain recipe on the post, but it might be hard to see. Sorry about that. Here’s the stain I use: https://www.blesserhouse.com/2015/01/the-most-natural-inexpensive-way-to.html
Lisa says
July 8, 2015 at 12:02 pmThanks….i did see if when I went back. I think the two glasses of wine made me miss it! Looks great though!!!!!
Sara says
July 7, 2015 at 10:57 pmWow! Love how you added the wood to the top. What a great makeover!!! Looks perfect!
Lauren says
July 13, 2015 at 2:29 pmThanks, Sara!
Gilly @ Colour Saturated Life says
July 9, 2015 at 4:11 amOh wow! This looks absolutely amazing! Looks like something you could get at pottery barn! The top is perfect! Well done!
Lauren says
July 13, 2015 at 2:31 pmThank you, Gilly!
Carrie says
July 9, 2015 at 4:10 pmWow! What a transformation! I love it. It looks really high end. Your homemade stain is so beautiful, too. I’ll have to mix up my own and try it!
Jennifer says
July 10, 2015 at 1:26 pmI’ve been on the hunt for coffee table ideas this week and I am in love with this!!! So inspired!
Lauren says
July 13, 2015 at 2:37 pmI’m so glad, Jennifer! It really was so easy.
Erlene says
July 13, 2015 at 2:22 amI love the table makeover. The added wood on the top really makes it look like a more substantial table.
Lauren says
July 13, 2015 at 2:44 pmThanks, Erlene!
Mary Vitullo says
July 13, 2015 at 10:51 amWhat an amazing transformation. Great eye to see the potential in that table. End result looks very expensive.
Lauren says
July 13, 2015 at 2:44 pmThank you, Mary! That means a lot considering your furniture talents. 🙂
Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. says
July 14, 2015 at 12:41 pmOh I really love this one Lauren! Now I want to go makeover a coffee table! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
Lauren says
July 14, 2015 at 2:29 pmYay!!! Thanks so much, Sharon! You are always so sweet! Love joining up with you each week. 🙂
[email protected] says
July 19, 2015 at 1:44 pmI love this makeover! I am checking out your DIY stain now as I am working on a table with a pallet top now. (As soon as I get home from Haven.)
Lauren says
July 22, 2015 at 3:19 pmOh my gosh it’s amazing! I hope you’ll love this stuff as much as I do. I’m so glad I got to meet you and chat for a bit!
Sincerely Jean says
July 21, 2015 at 8:58 pmThis is Gorgeous! Your amazing and this is so inspiring. Thank you for your ideas.
-Sincerelyjean
Lauren says
July 22, 2015 at 2:48 pmThank you so much! We had a lot of fun doing this one.
Sonja says
July 22, 2015 at 5:06 pmHello how do you fasten the planks to the top of the coffee table? some sort of glue:)? thanks:)
Lauren says
July 22, 2015 at 7:27 pmWe used a brad nailer, but if you wanted to use glue instead, I’d use Liquid Nails. Be sure to clamp it too.
Karen says
October 15, 2015 at 9:58 amGreat, simple makeover! What kind of velspar paint do you use for your furniture??? It looks great! I recently painted dining chairs with a velspar semi-gloss (three coats over a primer and a 6 week drying time have made me not want to repeat that fiasco) Thanks for all your inspiration Lauren!
Lauren says
October 21, 2015 at 5:43 pmI can’t remember which kind this was but I believe it was the flat finish Valspar Signature. I sometimes mix Chalky Paint Powder in flat paint to make it into a chalk paint. So sorry about your chairs! A lot of times the weather can play a factor in how paint dries. If it’s really hot or raining or humid at all outside, it can take a long time to cure. If it’s raining, I don’t paint at all. We plan to paint our kichen cabinets in April or May next year when the weather is typically mild in our area.
Karen says
October 25, 2015 at 4:49 pmThanks will try a flat paint next – I read somewhere else that semi-gloss was not the best – after the fact of course. They are ok now but it took FOREVER!! Looking forward to seeing how the kitchen cabinets turn out – good luck. Getting ready to try your home mad stain this week : )
brooke says
November 10, 2015 at 2:06 amHi,
I love your gray stain…however, it looks different in the three projects I saw–the bathroom, the height chart and the coffee table. What’s the formula for the light gray stain of the coffee table? And did you add a clear coat to the top? Thanks!…I’m VERY new to all of this haha.
Lauren says
November 10, 2015 at 1:41 pmHi Brooke! The stain will vary depending on A. what species of wood you use and B. how long ago the stain was mixed. For some of these, the stain I mixed was only 24 hours old and for others I mixed it a week before. That is the downside- you can’t really predict exactly what it will look like since it’s a natural weathering process, just sped up. For all of these projects though, I did add a marine grade polyurethane on top after the stain was dry (about 24 hours after). Hope that helps! 🙂
Alex says
November 11, 2015 at 5:56 pmCan you please write a post about some paintings tips and techniques. I love redoing furniture, but I feel like I always have paint drips in my pieces. Or if you have already done a post similar, can you point me in that direction please? Also, what are your favorite products? What steps do you use?
Lauren says
November 12, 2015 at 4:38 pmAbsolutely! I actually wrote about my step-by-step for painting furniture in this post: https://www.blesserhouse.com/2015/03/distressed-duck-egg-dining-chairs-makeover.html and this post: https://www.blesserhouse.com/2015/11/french-provincial-china-cabinet-makeover.html
Evie pons says
January 22, 2016 at 7:30 pmDo you sell?
Lacey says
February 17, 2016 at 6:20 pmLOVE this table! Wish I knew how to do this kinda stuff myself! This is the exact coffee table I’m looking for. Can you tell me where those curtains in the background are from please? Thanks so much 🙂
Lauren says
February 21, 2016 at 5:37 pmAbsolutely! The curtains came from Kirkland’s a couple years ago. Here’s the link to them: http://fave.co/1mxeMOr
Lindsey says
March 6, 2016 at 12:50 amGorgeous table. Just found your blog via Punters and I am in love!!! I have to ask y ou about your curtains. I have been on the hunt for curtains like that for a year! Where did you get them?? 🙂 thanks#
Lauren says
March 7, 2016 at 4:51 pmThanks so much for the love, Lindsey! I got the curtains at Kirkland’s a couple of years ago. Here’s the link to them: http://fave.co/1mxeMOr Hope that helps! 🙂
Angie says
March 21, 2016 at 12:53 pmLove the table. How did you attach the planks? Nails, glue,both?
Lauren says
March 23, 2016 at 9:58 amThanks, Angie! We just used nails but you could certainly add glue as well if you wanted.
Doreen says
March 26, 2016 at 8:29 pmWhat’s the paint you used on your wall? Love it!
Lauren says
March 31, 2016 at 1:26 amThanks! It’s Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige.
Karin Stiles says
May 20, 2016 at 9:22 pmThis is great! Thank you for sharing. Did you sand the table? I am new to this, and will be using your stain and same paint to cover an old, but sturdy dark wood coffee table.
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:35 pmGlad it could help, Karin! I lightly sanded the wood for the table to make sure there weren’t any splinters or anything, but the planks were pretty smooth to begin with.
Caitlin says
July 25, 2016 at 7:30 pmHi Lauren! We did this to our coffee table (ironically the exact same one you refinished), and it turned out awesome!!
We are having one issue. Our side planks are wider than the table because we just had Home Depot cut 1x4x8’s in half and aren’t as stable/flush as we’d like (we used a single nail at the 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 mark). Any suggestions on how to fix? Have you ever run into this issue?
Lauren says
August 3, 2016 at 1:05 pmOh okay, so I think we ran into that issue too, but beforehand, I measured the table, measured the width of the planks, and with the 1/2 inch overhang we were going to end up with, I just had my husband take that little bit off with a straight cut using the circular saw so it would end up flush.
Irene says
August 16, 2016 at 3:08 pmHi Lauren, I just finished putting the steel wool vinegar solution on about an hour ago. I do love it and I think the table is going to look great. Mine does look darker than yours on the top, the sides seem to be the same. Did you sand the top any after you put the stain solution on? How long did you wait before you put the polyurethane on and did you put polyurethane on the painted table or just the top. Thank you.
Lauren says
August 19, 2016 at 9:05 amHi Irene! So sorry for my delay. I did not sand the top of the wood, but you certainly could if you wanted to lighten it some. That will give it an even more rustic/distressed look too. I waited 24 hours before putting polyurethane on top.
Rosey says
September 24, 2016 at 4:36 pmWhat color is that gray you used?? It’s so pretty I love your style!!
Lauren says
October 4, 2016 at 12:32 amThank you, Rosey! The paint color is called Ash by Fusion Mineral Paint. Here’s a link to it: http://amzn.to/2dsqo28
Helga says
October 16, 2016 at 2:40 pmYou did an amazing job. Love it… fab! The base color is great and the top is a beautiful gray. I should be so lucky to find a table like this to make over!
Lauren says
October 17, 2016 at 5:26 pmThank you, Helga!
nadia milling says
June 27, 2017 at 10:41 amHi!!! Beautiful table. I love the colors of the stain that goes with the bottom grey. I would love to do this to my dining room table. Do you think I could put poly or something over the top of the stain to protect it and make sure there is some durability there since it will be used quite a bit? Thank you
Lauren says
June 27, 2017 at 11:36 amAbsolutely! I would highly recommend that!
Mary says
August 9, 2017 at 8:41 pmI love that table. Wanna sell it?
Darci says
August 13, 2017 at 7:46 pmHow did you attach the wood to the table top? Glue and screws?
Lauren says
August 14, 2017 at 9:33 amYes, wood glue and wood screws.
Amanda says
January 2, 2018 at 1:52 pmDo you have step-by-step instructions on how you achieved this look? I wan’t to give it a try, but don’t have the first clue of where to begin.
Thanks!
Lauren says
January 5, 2018 at 11:36 amHi Amanda! Yes! I used this method for staining the wood on top: https://www.blesserhouse.com/2015/01/the-most-natural-inexpensive-way-to.html And to patch the peeling veneer, I shared how to do that here: https://www.blesserhouse.com/2017/06/faux-gilded-nightstands.html
Ashley says
June 20, 2019 at 8:08 pmHello!
I’m redoing a coffee table and adding planks very similar to yours. I don’t have a nail gun, and I’m planning on using Liquid Nail and clamps. I’ll be using a typical MinWax wood stain and then poly. What do you suggest would be the best order to complete it?
1. Sand, stain, poly, glue to table top
2. Sand, glue to table top, stain, poly
3. glue to table top, sand, stain, poly
Thanks!
Lauren says
June 22, 2019 at 2:23 pmHi, Ashley!! I apologize for the delay in response. Certainly go with 1. Sand, stain, poly, glue to table top. I hope it turns out AWESOME!!