Ugly Coffee Table turned Coronado Chic

I'm not going to lie. I am sure the couple I bought this from thought I had absolutely lost my mind. I tried to contain my excitement, but I was giddy. I knew this coffee table would be amazing. Would I want it sitting in my family room as is? Not exactly, but I had big plans. I knew those details would look fantastic if it was just updated a bit.


Do you see what I saw? Just look at those details! You can't find stuff like this today. The top was a mess. The finish was coming off and it was covered in scratches. One of the legs had been chewed on by a dog. Ok, I don't really know what did it, but I am telling myself it was a dog. Otherwise the choice is leaning towards giant dog sized rats and well, a naughty dog sounds MUCH nicer! I knew there were enough details on the legs that no one would ever notice if I did a little sanding.

Besides, I am going to be completely honest. I didn't have to do this project alone. I had help. Yes, this project is not completely Homemade by Heidi. (I am currently hanging my head in shame.) I have discovered a great handyman locally. He is a hard worker and his hourly rate can't be beat. He is an up and coming builder with big aspirations to have his own building company someday, so he works for free! I know, I know. You think you read that wrong. He does indeed work for FREE! Yep, he just wants the experience. He wants to build his resume. I appreciate someone who wants more practice at their trade and more experience under their belt....toolbelt. How could I turn that down? I know I want to show pieces that anyone can do on their own. I would have done this on my own, but I just couldn't say no. So, I had some help in sanding this piece. His help was awesome and it saved me from more one on one time with my power sander. Besides, it feels great to know I am helping to form a future craftsman.


Oh, and I forgot to mention that he is the cutest future builder in town! Seriously, how could I say no to this face? Ok, I guess he doesn't work completely for free. There are a lot of requests for snuggles and ice cream, but I'd say he is worth his weight in gold!


This piece took quite a bit of sanding. In order to get the top really smooth, I had to get it down to the bare wood. Not everywhere, just on the top surface. You can see on the bottom of the legs where I had to really sand it down because of the ridiculous bite marks. I guess I just don't understand because we are practically animal free in our home. Our beloved pet is a fish, so bit marks are foreign to me.



The next step was a coat of Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover Primer. I don't think I can say this enough...use it! I was lured into another brand because of a contest they were having, and well, it is just not as good. I have used many different brands and this is just by far the best.

Next I pulled out my Cricut machine. If you don't have one, you could freehand this after painting the table. To be honest, if you are patient you could easily cut the letters out of contact paper on your own or make stencils from cutting out computer made letters. Once again, I am not patient and I want immediate results...so the Cricut is ideal for me.

I peeled off the contact paper backing and placed my stickers across the table. I did move them around a little to get the perfect placing. Next, I went bold and added a coat of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Aqua Satin. Yep, Aqua. I usually go neutral, but I was looking for a pop of summer color. This is now one of my all time favorite colors! After spraying the table with two coats to ensure complete coverage, I peeled off my sticker letters to reveal the primer underneath.



I loved it! This table went from dull and outdated to fresh and beachy. Not your typical beach style with clean lines, but a more sophisticated beach look. Kind of reminds me of Coronado itself...sophisticated beachy.



We pulled this table outside one afternoon for a lemonade stand. I must admit, it was the cutest lemonade stand I have ever seen! Our neighbor wanted to know if I had gotten the table from "The Attic" (an adorable vintage store in our area that I just think is awesome). That was a HUGE compliment. Nope, just a Homemade Beauty made by me. It has however moved on to a new home. My friend fell in love with the table throughout the day and it now resides in her backyard. Getting it prepared for the outdoors and properly treated was a bit of a nightmare, but it is really cute in her outdoor oasis. I hope you enjoy K!