"coffee" table

I'm finallhy getting around to sharing about my new (old) table (from 3 months ago).  I was in an antique store actually looking for something else when I passed by a booth that had a half off "closing" sale with this kitchen table in the middle.  It didn't have the leaves to go with it or any chairs but it was $20.  I immediately could picture finishing it and using it as a coffee table in our living room.  We've not had a coffee table since we started having children (possible safety hazard).  But now that everone walk without falling over, we can actually start decorating for "big" people.

First I screwed a couple of brackets to the bottom so that the table wouldn't come apart in the middle.  Then I took wood filler and filled the gap then sanded it when it was dry. I also cut the legs down. Don't ya love our 80's inspired basement carpet?  It's wall to wall!

After sanding the gloss off, I painted the whole thing black. 

I then painted it cream.  At this point I sanded some of the spots down to the black to give a worn look.  Then layer after layer I added shades of brown and black to the top to make it look like wood.  At each stage, Joseph asked, "Is that how you're going to leave it?"  No, of course not.  It needs more layers.  "You took a wood table and painted it to look like old wood?"  Yes, of course.

I accentuated some of the scratches and dents that were already in the table.  Then I followed the advice of the paint store lady by applying the 3 coats of polyurethane with a rag instead of a paint brush.  It went on much easier and didn't have the brush strokes.

This is the table in the living room.  We lived with it for a few days then decided it was still too high.  So Joseph helped me cut the legs down some more.  It's hard to see in this picture where I sanded down to the black, but it's there.



The finished (shorter) product.  I love having another flat surface.  The family loves having a place to put our feet up.  It's also become a perfect place for our family prayers.