Now that my bedroom is done (check it out!) I am quickly tackling my living room so I can decorate it for Christmas. I’ve pretty much kept the same furniture in my living area over the last three years, and it’s time I updated it.
One of my first DIY furniture projects was a coffee table. Check it out here, it’s seriously the easiest furniture project. When I made it I had a white carpet so I wanted the coffee table to contrast with it, so I stained it with a dark stain. Well, I don’t have that white carpet anymore and I’m ready to switch it up.
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My goal was to strip the stain off the wood and leave it raw or whitewash it. I didn’t want to use a chemical paint stripper to remove the stain, so instead, I used a belt sander to take off the stain. It took some time, but it worked out pretty well.
Here it is right after I stripped the stain off
I had a veneer edge banding on the table to finish the edge, but it was also stained dark. I removed it and replaced it with a fresh strip. The veneer creates a smooth (and pretty) edged to the table, otherwise, you would see the layers of plywood.
Once everything was back to raw wood, I used diluted white paint to give the table a whitewash that tones down some of the colors of the wood. I mixed 1-part paint to 4-parts water, and painted a thin layer on, letting it sit for a minute before wiping it off. I did a few thin layers to build the color slowly.
To finish it off, I sealed the table with a matte polycrylic, which seals the wood without making it glossy. Since we eat on this table often, I applied 3 coats to protect from any food stains or water damage.
And here’s the finished table!
If you’re looking for more detailed instructions on how I built the table the first time, check out the original DIY blog.
If you build your own version of this, tag me on Instagram @mintedbold! Now on to updating my living room.
Minted Bold 