Thrift Store Coffee Table redo!

Yay for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore! Thanks to them I paid $10 for a coffee table, and the money went to a good cause :) I knew the coffee table was ugly when I bought it but it was in good shape and had a lot of potential so it became a guessing game as to when I'd get off my bum and actually paint it. Well, I finally got off my bum!! Wish I could find a good before photo... If you can imagine a brown table with a faux wood look.

I'll be happy to tell you how I originally screwed this thing up and then made it all right!! 

I started with light sanding then proceeded to spray paint a gloss white on it. After a few layers I hated it so sanded it out a little and used Krylon primer spray. The spray painting to begin with was awful. I see so many people do great makeovers with spray paint but apparently I'm no good at it. I decided to whip out the only white paint I own, my interior wall & trim paint, and rolled it on all over. Looked MUCH better! After a little sanding in spots to give it the roughed up and worn look it was ready for the next step.

This is the expensive part: protecting the table with a clear coat finish. Obviously being a coffee table, at least in my house, I can expect it to get things spilled on it, sticky gooey things stuck to it and all that jazz that comes with a 3yr old so I really needed something I could clean without messing with the white paint. I did some research and found the best option for my project was Polycrylic (I chose to buy the satin finish... they also sell it in gloss). Unlike Polyurethane, Polycrylic won't yellow over time, is water-based, and has a faster drying time. The downside was the price. It runs about $15 for a quart at WalMart, however it'll last me through many many more projects! Here is a link to a short comparison of the two: Water-Based vs. Oil-Based Minwax Polyurethane. 

I am pleased with the final finish and admit that so far it seems incredibly durable despite my original painting flubs. Enjoy! I hope this has helped you in some way and maybe inspires you to attempt a furniture makeover! 

 

 

I'm linked up!!