The Hubs and I frequently visit historic downtown Brunswick, Georgia. It’s only about an hour up I-95, and there are several secondhand furniture stores we like to visit. Not to mention, the delicious food and hospitality at our favorite watering hole, Tipsy McSway’s.
Table of Contents
The Story Behind the Coffee Table
While visiting one of the secondhand stores, we came across this very unique looking coffee table. The carvings were stunning!
This table had a story behind it. The store owner explained that there was a local craftsman who used teak wood for all of his projects, who had since passed away. I knew the table would be coming home with me. I fell in love!
The tabletop had severe damage in a few places (it’s hard to see in the photo, but there was damage). I am not sure what the damage was from, but there were several holes.
However, the base of the table was sturdy and had minimal damage. See the adorable little drawer? And, at a price tag of only $40.00, what was there to lose?
PIN for Later!
DIY Coffee Table Makeover
We had not had a coffee table in years. I felt it was time to change that. The grandbabies were older now, so no worries about them falling and bumping their heads.
We got it home and thoroughly inspected it. The Hubs decided to construct a new top. The damage was extensive and we knew it had to be sturdy because it would get plenty of use!
Let the makeover begin! He decided to use 1×4’s to construct the new top. While he worked on the top, I got busy on the base. I gave it a good cleaning with Lysol spray cleaner. The one small drawer also got a good cleaning.
I did not want to cover the table with paint completely. But I felt it needed something. I am not a huge fan of the blonde wood look so, I decided to use a whitewash. My pieces in my living room are for the majority, white with barn red being the accent color. A whitewash would give it a little color, but not take away entirely from the carvings and the wood.
It was a straightforward process. I dampened my paintbrush tip with water, and then barely dipped it in the paint. I then applied the color with the brush in long strokes, lightly. If I applied too much paint, I wiped off the excess with a damp cloth.
DIY Coffee Table Makeover -New Top
The Hubs finished up the top. Isn’t it a beauty!
You can see another project where we added wood to an existing piece HERE.
We decided to use Minwax Dark Walnut stain to finish it off and give it a beautiful color. The top was attached with rusty nails that the Hubs found in his stash. This really gave it a farmhouse vibe! I love using old nails! The entire piece was sealed with one coat of Polycrylic.
Here are a few pictures in our living room. I plan to purchase a cowhide rug off of Amazon to go underneath. We receive so many compliments on our coffee table!
There were a few places where wood was chipped and had cracks. But we left them just as they were.
The carvings are just beautiful. And knowing that it was done by a local artisan makes it even more special.
Supply List for the Coffee Table Makeover
Affiliate Links are provided for your convenience at no extra cost to you.
White Chalk Finish Paint: I like Cotton color from Dixie Bell Paint Company but you may choose any chalk paint brand you like
1×4″s
Rusty Nails
Looking for more furniture makeovers ideas?
Click HERE to see our armoire project. We added wood to the back to give it a farmhouse feel.
“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it will be.”
Christina
Thanks for posting all of your hard but well worth it furniture. I love seeing what other people are doing in their homes. I love recycling furniture or remaking it over. You have given me inspiration to also give my coffee table a face lift. I live in Griffin, Ga. I would love to see pics of your whole living room because I am renovating my entire house one room at a time since I am the boss and crew. I love your buffet as well. Thanks for allowing me to see what beautiful work you do. You are an inspiration.
Awww, thanks Michele!
Not being mean but if you look at the closeup of the front of the table, on the legat the top, there are 2 creepy faces. They gave me a little anxiety. 😂😂😂
Didn’t notice that! 😂😂😂
What are your favorite stores to visit in Brunswick for junkin’?
Hi Stacy! Our favorite place to visit was Casey’s Closet but she has moved to Nahunta, Ga. we do like Hello Goodbye and Market on Newcastle 🙂
The table turned out stunning
Thank you Maria ?
The perfect finish for this table! Love howok all those lovely details came alive without taking away from the rustic charm. Pinned
Thank you so much and thank you for sharing! ❤️❤️
I love it! I have a coffee table similar to that one except it has four small drawers. It’s currently an espresso color and I was thinking about painting the base like you did. Now I know I will!
Thank you Mandy! Yay glad I inspired you! 🙂 Would love to see your finished table.
What a beauty – job very well done!
Thank you Lorraine ???
I love a good story, especially when it ends with a beautiful makeover! Outstanding as usual. <3
Thank you Kim ❤️❤️
I love your repurposed pieces! You have inspired me. My little bench or coffee table awaits me in the garage. I finally bought an electric sander. Yay! I have the piece ‘pictured’ in my mind. I want to do a Mackenzie-Childs courtly check look. I’ve been practicing the check. But it is very difficult. I know the checks should not be perfect. But I’m just not happy with the uneveness that appears when I do them. Now I will experiment with painters tape and see how that works. Can you coach me a bit?
Thank you so much for your kind words! I love inspiring people it’s why I love what I do! If your going to use painters tape use the Green Frog brand it’s the best! Also peel the tape up carefully after your done don’t wait for it to completely dry. I would love to see your finished project! Sometimes we are our biggest critic and we see all the imperfections. But remember that’s what makes it unique ❤️
Great teamwork; love how the new top looks with the whitewash!
Thank you Sara! The Hubs can really build 🙂
That is a beauty!
Thank you so much Susan! ❤️
What a fun day! Elvis and a coffee table DIY! It doesn’t get better than that. 😀 I love how it turned out. The colors together look so good. It looks aged, but new, if that makes any sense. Where did you get the scale decoration you have on top of the table?
It was a fun day! I actually got that from the Lakeside Collection website. They have farmhouse decor at reasonable prices 🙂 thank you!
I thought that’s where it came from! It’s on my Christmas list! ?