Retro Side Table Makeover

by Donna Powell

4 Materials

$22

2 Days

Easy

At a recent trip to a thrift store - just to see what I could find for inspiration - I came across this retro style tiered side table that was a great deal but had some slight water damage. I decided to buy it anyway.

The table has a retro mid-century look to it but was probably made in the 1970's or 1980's when particle board and laminate tops were most commonly used in furniture. The water damage is around the edges and to the particle board underneath.

Water damage to furniture can be tricky to conceal. The first thing I did with this table was to thoroughly clean the surface with a deglosser product. Then I trimmed up any loose flaky wood fibers from the particle board underneath the shelves and vacuumed the surfaces.

Since particle board is held together with glue and water makes it flake apart, I decided to try an experiment with this table and used a generous amount of spray adhesive on the bottom of each shelf. That didn't hide the water damage but it did seem to keep more fibers from flaking off. I knew I couldn't paint this table with a roller or brush so I used spray paint instead. From Lowe's I purchased Valspar Project Perfect Paint + Primer in a greenish-blue color called Secluded Garden. Unfortunately my photos only picked up the blue tint in the paint.

After applying two coats of spray paint I still wanted the table to have more character and flare. I decided to paint the bottom edges of each table leg and the edges of each shelf in metallic acrylic craft paint in a color called New Penny.

I measured one inch down from the bottom of each table leg and wrapped painter's tape around the legs to provide a template of where to paint on the metallic acrylic paint on each leg. This dipped looking effect created cute little caps on each end of the table legs.

I also applied two coats of MinWax PolyAcrylic to the table for extra protection. The final result is an adorable retro style table with a bit of metallic personality and flare.

For now I have put it in the corner of my master bedroom with my Mid-Century Love Seat that is the next on my list for a makeover. The style of the retro table goes very well with the love seat.