In this DIY project, we are going to learn how to customize untold historical coffee table bought from random craigslist member.
See this next picture.
It wasn’t look this cute.
“Hello, yeah, it’s been awhile“.
Not much, how ’bout you?”
Well, I’m back from my self-imposed blogging hiatus. And despite the groovy 70’s song lyrics, I’m ready to unveil my most recent Craig’s List acquisition.
For the last six months, I’ve been on the search, on the prowl and totally desperate to find the perfect coffee table. Something that would work well with my existing furniture, be teenager proof and cost little to no money. Oh, and I had to absolutely love it. I found a few new tables that fit the bill, but I just couldn’t justify paying the high retail prices. Craig’s List wasn’t much help, either so I decided to make my own.
I’ve been obsessed with marble lately, so I was determined to find a large (preferably round) slab of white marble for the top of my table design. Well, marble aint cheap. So even my DIY version coffee table was going to be pricey. So back to Craig’s List to search for an existing, affordable marble top table that I could modify.
And then, I found it.
A long trip later, into a stranger’s dimly lit house and it was mine.
A beauty, it was not. But this round oak coffee table from a past decade came with a removable, round marble insert. Perfect for my DIY plan.
Strangely enough, when I set the dated table in my living room just to see how it would look, I was instantly sold on the shape. The damaged brown finish definitely needed to be removed and replaced by a cheery color, though. The DIY plans were nixed for the moment and I set about fixing up the table.
I’m not really a fan of oak, but after I finished sanding the whole table by hand, I was kind of digging the natural wood grain. I rubbed some furniture wax onto the surface and brought it back to the living room to try it out–this time with the marble top.
Hold a sec.
Yuck! The finish looked out-of-place with everything else in the room. Too much brown. I didn’t even like it next to the marble.
I sanded it again and mixed my own concoction of watered-down navy and grey craft paint. I simply brushed it on the wood and immediately wiped it off with a rag. It left a bit of a weathered grey look. A much better pairing with the marble and the rest of the room.
And you can still see the wood grain, too.
So, this Craig’s List coffee table is staying (for now.)
Playing around a bit with accessories. (Doesn’t fur go with everything?)
So what about you? Has Craig’s List or some other thrifty source come to the rescue in your search for the perfect item?