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Ever since we purchased our couch, we’ve wanted to find a new coffee table.
Well…we bought the couch 2 years ago. So, I think it’s finally time to get on the coffee table hunt!
It’s not that I don’t like our current coffee table. It was a fine Ikea purchase from my college days, and it has stood the test of time…(a.k.a. many college house parties)
I still love the table’s white color, the sliding drawer, and the two levels that provide maximum storage.
But, it just did not work with our L-shaped, natural colored couch.
Our poor guests have to suck it all in to try and sit on our couch. No bueno.
For the past few months, I’ve been on the hunt for a new table that would fit well in the space.
Here’s my list of must haves:
-Round shape (to offset the rectangular shape of the couch)
-2 levels (for maximum storage)
-Smaller & shorter than our current table
-Made of high quality, sturdy wood (for our heavy legs that rest on the table every night)
I’m happy to say that I found a table that hit everything on my checklist!
This bad boy was scored over a fabulous girls’ weekend with my mom, aunt, and cousin. My mom actually spotted it and quickly snatched it up at my favorite antique store for only $80. A pretty great price considering the quality. Score!
I knew right away that I wanted to stain the table to match the dark espresso of our bookshelves. That way there was some contrast going on in our family room between the white media console…the dark bookshelves…the natural couch…and the dark coffee table.
Here’s what I used to get my stain on…
SUPPLIES:
Paint brush
Palm Sander
120 grit sandpaper
A few cloths
Minwax Wood Finish in Ebony
The table was showing its age, with some nicks and marks on the surface.
So my first step was to sand down the wood and create a nice even surface before staining.
I used 120 grit sandpaper (a medium grit) to smooth out the surface, sides, and second level of the table. (Tip: Be sure to sand with the grain of the wood.)
Then, I wiped down the table with soapy water to get rid of any dust and dirt.
Once the table was dry it was time to stain. I put on some rubber gloves and got to work!
I went with the color “ebony” because I really wanted a dark, almost black, color for the table.
I used my paint brush to paint a nice thin coat of stain onto the table, going with the grain of the wood. You could tell the dry wood was thirsty, because it happily soaked up that first coat of stain!
After about 10 minutes, I used a dry cloth to wipe up any excess stain. Make sure you don’t press down too hard when you wipe, but definitely wipe up any extra stain that is on the surface.
I then waited 24 hours and checked on my table again. The color wasn’t quite dark enough for me, so I decided to go for another coat of stain. I repeated the staining process…this time letting the stain soak in about 20 minutes before wiping it up.
48 hours later I trudged back down to the basement (side note: my legs should look way better due to all of the stairs I climb for these projects!) ready to finish up my coffee table.
To seal and protect the stained wood, I used a wipe-on poly. I literally just poured it right out onto the table and wiped an even coat on with a soft cloth. After it dried (about 3-4 hours) I used steel wool to lightly buff out the wood. I repeated this process 2 more times, for a total of 3 coats of wipe-on poly.
I’m in love with my little round table. It’s everything my white table wasn’t…
The tray on top is from Home Goods ($9.99!) and it is filled with cute & functional goodies.
Here’s a coffee table book about St. Louis, so our guests can learn about our new city.
On top is an old horse shoe, just to add some fun and maybe even luck to our family room!
This candle is another Home Goods purchase. Comfy couch, tivo, glass of red wine, and this candle…that says RELAXATION to me.
I’m really happy with the color of the table. It has a distressed look to it, with darker spots and roughed up edges.
I like the contrast between the dark table and light couch.
It provides good balance to the white media console and espresso bookcases across from it.
Even though the table is quite a bit smaller than our other one…there’s still plenty of room to stretch out my legs, sit back, and unwind.
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