Refinished Mid Century Modern Coffee Table Upcycle/Makeover

Andrea Palmai
by Andrea Palmai
5 Materials
$30
4 Hours
Medium

I came across this table on offerup and it was painted all brown. It was ugly but thought had a lot of potential because of the legs! I knew if I sanded down the legs and found nice woodgrain it would be a nice transformation regardless of what the top looked like.

This is what it looked like before

This is the image the seller posted of the table and I decided based off of this photo, that I just can't live without this table. icon Its all about having a good eye and seeing potential!


I sanded down the legs, applied stain, painted the top and applied a water based clear coat for a durable permanent finish. See the instructions below on how I achieved this look.

I started with "some" sanding! This is a tough and time consuming job but you just can't skip it...

I used an electric sander and started with 100 grit sandpaper followed by 120, 150, 220 then grit to give it a smooth look.

Sanded off the legs and the sides. I wanted to expose as much wood as possible. I was happy to see beautiful woodgrain! Once it was sanded I applied penetrating wood stain! The top was laminate so I knew it had to be painted.

I used a water based clear coat on the legs and top for a durable permanent finish.

I picked premium latex paint in black to paint the top.

Sanding paper used during the project
This coffee table looks good as new

Take a look at my Instagram to see more of what I do!

Resources for this project:
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  • Denise Vasquez Denise Vasquez on Aug 04, 2020

    Were you able to identify the maker? so you could know if is an "important" designer, to assess it's value? Gorgeous

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