How to Re-Invent your old Coffee Table with Paint

In preparation for the holidays I bought a new rug for the living room. It was blue, it matched my cloudy wall. I was in love. Some of the room, the cabinet and the bookcases, looked great with the new rug. Some other things, not so much. Did that stop me from plowing ahead? Of course not. I was determined to make the room look presentable for the holidays, as best I could.

Like I said, some of the furniture looked out of place. Now I am on a budget so buying a new coffee table was not in the foreseeable future. But I figured I could always paint that table that looked oh so dark and gloomy and make it fit in just a bit better. This is how I went about reinventing my old coffee table with paint to fit in with the rest of the room.

Old Wood coffee table with black vinyl on top, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

Disclosure: I was compensated for doing this post with product. However, all the opinions stated here are my own. I only use products I love and would recommend to my viewers.

But let’s back track for a minute. This table has been with us since my boys lived here. I had originally covered it with a black vinyl contact paper because… well you can read all about that story here. And you see why it worked before in that setting.

The plan was to paint the whole table and hide the darkness of the wood and the black vinyl. Because this was no longer the boy’s bachelor pad. It was my living room and it had to reflect my taste. Mainly my love of blue and warm and cozy things.

Old Coffee Table Before, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

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What I Used:

Americana Satin Enamels Paint, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

The How to:

I started off painting the whole thing in the beige color. A few coats and lots of wait time in between because winter is not kind to painting. And obviously I was not able to paint outside in the winter.

After one coat of paint, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

Isn’t this the ideal painting situation? In between all the Christmas festivity I had this mess in the living room. But what was I to do? I was determined to have the living room of my dreams. Or at least as close to it as I could get DIY style.

After finishing with the beige paint, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

I liked the beige but felt it was too bland. I thought maybe the top could use a different color, so I mixed up my own special color trying to match it as closely as possible to a blue shade that was on the rug. I used a bit of True Blue and Pewter to achieve this effect, and lots of white along with the original beige.

Mixing the blue paint, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

I let the coats dry for a least a few hours in between. There was no need to add a top coat to this paint since it dries as hard as nails. That’s also why it is my favorite paint and I use it all the time!

Finished table with blue top and beige bottom, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

It is a soft bluish grey! And such a warm color. The beige looks almost like a cream color next to the blue top.

The accents really pop! I had consulted with a paint group on Facebook about what to do with this piece and many suggested that I add a stencil on top. But I feel that between the accent wall and the media cabinet, things are busy enough in here. I think adding stenciling would have made the room even busier.

Details of the legs, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

For now, I’m going to leave it like that.

But in the future, I am actually thinking of distressing it a bit or even adding some dark wax to make them pop more. What do you suggest?

Details of the sides, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

This is so much better than the wood and black it was before.

Against the rug colors, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

Looking down at the top of the blue table top, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

You can’t really tell from the photos but the whole room is really coming together now. I had painted the wall first and then bought the rug with the hope that it would complement that wall.

A piece of advice here. Always paint your wall last. It took me months to find this rug and even then I was worried that the color would not work since I ordered it through the internet. Luckily all turned out well but I had quite a few days of nail biting over this.

Table in the festive living room for the holidays, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

I managed to finish this table and one other project just in time for the holidays and enjoyed the harmony and coziness of the room. Because to me spending time with family at home is what the holidays are all about.

Finished wood table with blue top and beige bottom, How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

I know that many of you were out there decorating and shopping and even baking. But for me it was important to prepare for the holidays by painting. Am I nuts? Maybe but having a cozy room and a calm ambiance for my family to spend time, is what it’s all about for me. I hope you’ve enjoyed how I re-invented my coffee table with paint.

Coffee Table Makeover using Satin Enamel Paints, #furnituremakeover #DecoArtmedia #woodtable #Upcycle #SatinEnamelpaint #cozylivingroom #decorating How to Re-Invent your Old Coffee Table With Paint www.theboondocksblog.com

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This blog is for entertainment purposes only; my DIY tutorials are not professional advice. Read my full disclaimer here.

I love it when I get your comments and I will try to reply to every one of them.

Sarah @ The DIY Mommy

Wednesday 7th of August 2019

This looks so fresh, it was really brought back to life! I love the combination of colours. Great post!

Mary

Wednesday 14th of August 2019

Thanks so much Sarah!

Roxanne

Monday 14th of January 2019

The power of paint never ceases to amaze me, this looks like a brand new table! I tried DecoArt paint on furniture last year and was really happy with the results! Pinning!

I think paint is our strongest weapon against dull furniture.

Jeanie Croope

You did a terrific job, Mary. It looks really nice with the new paint!

I am really loving all those soft colors that compliment each other.

Runningonempty

Looking great! That’s a nice rug too. Cath

Thanks Cath. That rug took me months to find and I am so relieved it matches with the wall color. In hindsight I should have picked that out first and then painted but you live and you learn.

Doreen@foxdenrd

You did a wonderful job putting together the paint for the top. Color can be so tricky when trying to achieve a specific shade but you nailed it. You’re so right about painting last, but that can be so difficult to do! It’s human nature to want to paint first because it’s SUCH a pain to remove furniture from a room to paint, it’s always easier to paint if the room is empty or nearly empty. I might distress the high points a bit but not sure about dark wax. It’s hard to tell from the pics. xxx

Tuesday 15th of January 2019

I know just how difficult it can be to paint last and you are absolutely right that it is a huge hassle to have to paint when the room is furnished.

What I Used:

The How to: ​

The How to: