Friday, April 3, 2015

Furniture Transformation: A Side Table To Love

Today I have quite the transformation to show you - but it took some of the least amount of work I've done in a long time, lol. My friend Liz moved to Las Vegas last month, and gave me this little side table that she couldn't take with her.
No need to adjust your monitors - it is, indeed, neon pink, lol. At first I was unsure if I could help it out, but never one to turn down free furniture, I was happy to take it from her. It's a good height, which I have discovered is hard to come by in thrift store/used furniture. I'm guessing it's because they are so useful that no one gets rid of them. Anyway, this particular table seems to have belonged to a little girl before going to Liz. Not only was the table a terribly spray painted pink (the top was very splotchy), it was really beat up and even had the message, "If you can read this this table is cursed!" written is shaky, little girl handwriting under the lip along the edge, lol. Thanks for the warning.

When I first received the table, I planned to strip the old paint off and stain it a dark brown to match my living room furniture. This means that it sat in my garage for about a month as I put off doing so much work in the midst of my larger house projects. This past weekend though I was struck with an idea - what if I just spray paint over the pink with a deep brown color? The table is small, and since I was planning on stripping the paint to begin with I figured it couldn't hurt to try the spray paint first and I could just strip it later if I hated how it came out. I just gave a few gooby spots a nice sanding (there was some wax dribbled on the side), and sprayed it with a can of Rustoleum American Accents 2X Ultra Cover in Espresso Satin. It absorbed wonderfully (bless you, real wood), and after 2 coats and maybe 20 minutes, I had a wonderful transformation!
It came out great! Sure, I could have given it a bit more TLC and filled in the pits on the top and edges, but at the time I just wanted a quick and satisfying project to keep me in the DIY spirit. The color looks great in my living room - it's close enough to the dark stain of my furniture to pass, plus it's in a corner by itself so it has nothing else right next to it to give a side by side comparison. Also the satin finish makes it shine like it was recently sprayed with Pledge :) I still didn't want the pits on the top to show so much, and I recently came across this thrifted hand-crocheted doily I picked up for 25¢ who knows when (it was in the abyss of my sewing room and I found it amongst the fabric I put on my new shelving unit, and it still had the price tag on it). It's the perfect size for this table and just enough of a distraction from the blemishes on the table top. It doesn't cover them all, but is makes you not notice them unless you're really scrutinizing.
Now my little corner has an appropriate sized table that is just enough to add light and interest. Added bonus - the table top has a little cubby underneath where it attaches to the base, so I was able to twist tie my lamp cord and tuck it inside the table - no more unsightly cord hanging down! Now nothing can distract you eye from that beautiful new light socket down there, lol, it's the little things, folks.

This project was just enough to really kick my spray-painting-butt into full gear. I love how a quick and successful project can just make you want to do more and more. I've got another huge transformation that just has to be coated in poly-acrylic (*hint hint* I posted about starting this project 2 years ago! That's so sad!) I am beyond thrilled to have this next one done and 1) out of my garage and 2) holding things in my sewing room. I can't wait!

Cost Breakdown:
  • Cursed Side Table - Free (Thanks, Liz!)
  • 1 can Rustoleum American Accents 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint in Espresso Satin - $3.77
  • Antique Handmade Crocheted Doily - 25¢
Total Cost: $4.02 (pretty awesome, right?!)

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