Coffee Table Makeover!

This was my coffee table.

I was getting SO tired of it. It’s a hand-me-down. Its huge, square, and collected EVERYTHING!

Its got paint spots on it…and its chipping here and there….

See………..EVERYTHING!

This is everything that was on the bottom. Scary, I know!

I was on the hunt for a new-to-me coffee table, but couldn’t find what I was looking for. So I decided to break down and give this one a makeover. Now I LOVE it!

This is it now!
(I need to get some better photos of it in action! with some natural light too)

After a paint job! And little curtain thingys.

I did this today, so I haven’t yet gotten around to going through everything that was under it and putting it back, so it is currently empty.

(which my cats like, they think its something new to play in)

 A quick explanation of what I did and some tips for painting a coffee table:

I started out by sanding the top and legs a little bit just to get some of the shine off. Then I started applying some regular ole black craft paint. I used only 2 and a half little bottles! Crazy!

I started using a big bristle brush, but switched over to a foam brush. I like foam brushes much better for these things, except I only had 1 inch sized ones, but it worked.

I painted two coats of black. I did not paint the bottom inside…I did around the bottom outside…you can kind of see through the glass how it is still brown underneath. I left it like that because I wasn’t sure how I would prefer it….and I think for now, I like it left brown. One reason is…when I look “inside” for something, it isnt as dark. 

Anyway…..I left my ceiling fan on while painting, so it dried quickly. I then applied a coat of Matte Mod Podge that I thinned a little with water, all over. I wanted to do some sort of top coat, and that’s all I had at the moment. I still would like to give it another real top coat sometime…but for now it works. With the way I did my brush strokes, criss-crosses, the paint looks like it has a suede like texture. Kinda neat!

Then I decided I wanted some sort of curtain thingy around 3 sides, to camouflage the crap that might accumulate under it. I used some Olivey-Taupe Canvas-like material. I hemmed up the sides. Then I attached them with some black furniture tacks. 

Everything I used, was stuff I already had.

Ahhhh, it looks SOOO much better. It took me about 3 hours from start to finish. I like how, our laptops (which are black) blend right in when we have them on top….(which is where they are constantly) (and no, they are not in the photos “blending in”, haha!)

It so much more aesthetically pleasing to my eyes!

The only thing I am not sure if I want to do yet or not…..is…..should I distress the edges?? Or not?

Its not like its solid wood, I believe it has wood veneer on it…or whatever you call it, because it was chipping in spots. Hmmm…..

(Oh ya, has anyone used  Windows Live Writer in Windows 7 to write & post your blogs? I can't seem to quite get the hang of it yet)

Linking to these Parties:

 Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings