How to Refinish a Coffee Table in 5 Easy Steps

The Rules:

• • Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.

 

• • There’s no monthly theme.

 

• There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

It’s great when friends look out for you…and find projects for you.  A friend from work had told me a coffee table that she thought I might be interested in.  Turns out, another work friend was cleaning out and selling it.  One day later, for just $20, I had a new coffee table sitting in my garage.

The table is in great shape and I love its curves and character.

And…since our old coffee table was our dog Teddy’s chew toy a few years back, this treasure was a welcome addition.

It took just 5 easy steps to transform it.

1.  The first thing I did was give it a good cleaning.

2.  Next came sanding.  Even though I was using chalk paint, which requires very little prep work, this table had some chipped paint and I wanted to smooth it out a bit.

I just used a fine sanding block.

I gave it one more good wipe down with a Swifter cloth.  These cloths are amazing at picking up all the little specks of dust.

Now that it was clean and sanded, I was ready to paint.

3.  Focusing on the top first, I gave it a coat of my favorite, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen.  This color is a cool, neutral …a cross between gray and khaki…and I just love it!

This beauty took two coats on top, with 24 hours drying between each coat.

4.  Then I painted the legs and body using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.  I love this color.  It is a creamy white that complements the French Linen beautifully.

After two coats of Old White, it was beginning to take shape.

5.  Last, but not least…the wax.

A little bit of this wax goes a long way.  Apply with a brush and buff with a cotton cloth.

I knew my husband’s old t-shirts would come in handy some day.

You can see how the wax deepens the color adds a protective coating.  It comes in a can and has the consistency of shortening…just remember a little goes a long way!

If it feels tacky, keep buffing!

Before long, it will be ready.

This table found a new home in our family room.

 

Yay!  For just $20 and a little chalk paint, we gained a coffee table in our family room.  I love this piece and the transformation!

Do you have any old pieces that you thinking of refinishing?

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And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!