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The Table that stood up to Water Marks – Το Τραπέζι που αντιστέκεται στα σημάδια νερού

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Today my  mind has been drifting to the bachelor apartment I helped my sons fix up a few months back.  This is their first apartment and because they are on a budget it has been decorated with mostly cast offs and what nots that we were able to find.  

In the living room, we have a very nice coffee table which is used for everything except serving coffee.  This table takes quite a beating and it looked like this half of the time.

Σήμερα το μυαλό μου επέστρεψε στην γκαρσονιέρα που βοήθησα τους γιους μου να διακοσμήσουν πριν λίγους μήνες. Αυτό είναι το πρώτο τους διαμέρισμα και επειδή κάνουν οικονομία  έχει διακοσμηθεί με ότι μπορέσαμε να βρούμε.

Στο καθιστικό, έχουμε ένα πολύ ωραίο τραπέζι του καφέ που χρησιμοποιείται για τα πάντα εκτός από το σερβίρισμα του καφέ. Το τραπέζι  ταλαιπωρείται 

πολύ, και πολλες φορές φαίνεται έτσι.
Coffee table upcycle, watermarks  The table that stood up to water marks, www.theboondocksblog.com
There are water marks and food stains and all sorts of other strange things on there. If you have ever watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding you would know that Greeks cover everything in plastic.  So according to grandparents the obvious solutions would be to put a bunch of plastic place mats or even one of those plastic tablecloth covers on it.  This does not sit well with the younger  generation.  I needed to come up with a practical and stylish solution fast. 

I went shopping and this is what I found.  It is faux leather contact paper.  It is also very durable. 

Υπάρχουν σημάδια νερού, λεκέδες τροφίμων και κάθε λογής άλλα περίεργα πράγματα εκεί. Αν έχετε προσέξει ποτέ  το”My Big Fat Greek Wedding” θα ξέρετε ότι οι Έλληνες καλύπτουν τα πάντα σε πλαστικό. Έτσι, σύμφωνα με τους παππούδες οι προφανείς λύσεις θα ήταν να βάλουμε ένα πλαστικό τραπεζομάντιλο  να καλύπτει το τραπεζάκι. Αυτό δεν κάθεται καλά με τη νεότερη γενιά. Έπρεπε να καταλήξουμε σε μια πρακτική και κομψή λύση γρήγορα.

Πήγα για ψώνια και βρήκα ένα ψεύτικο δερμάτινο διακοσμητικό αυτοκόλλητο.  Είναι επίσης πολύ ανθεκτικό.
Coffee table  upcycle,  vinyl The table that stood up to water marks, www.theboondocksblog.com
I did not want to cover the whole surface of the table, so I placed it in such a way that the wood could be seen as a border. 

Δεν ήθελα να καλύψω όλη την επιφάνεια του τραπεζιού, γι ‘αυτό είναι τοποθετημένο με τέτοιο τρόπο ώστε το ξύλο θα μπορέσει να θεωρηθεί ως ένα σύνορο.
Coffee Table Upcycle  The table that stood up to water marks, www.theboondocksblog.com

Coffee Table Upcycle  The table that stood up to water marks, www.theboondocksblog.com


The boys love it and they don ‘t have to worry about the mess, all it needs is a simple wipe down with some water.  And no more water marks on the table.

Τα αγόρια δεν ανησυχούν για το χάος, το μόνο που χρειάζεται είναι ένα απλό σκούπισμα με λίγο νερό. Και χωρίς περισσότερα σημάδια νερού πάνω στο τραπέζι.


This is much nicer than a bunch of plastic. It looks modern and at the same time it is very easy to clean up… just what young bachelors require.

Αυτό είναι πολύ καλύτερο από πλαστικό τραπεζομαντηλο. Φαίνεται σύγχρονο και ταυτόχρονα είναι πολύ εύκολο στα καθαρίσματα … ακριβώς αυτό που απαιτούν οι εργένηδες.
Coffee table upcycle The table that stood up to water marks, www.theboondocksblog.com
A very simple solution to a very common problem.  And it looks great with the sofa too !!  
I hope you have enjoyed today’s post. 

Μια πολύ απλή λύση σε ένα πολύ κοινό πρόβλημα. Και φαίνεται  ωραίο με τον καναπέ!!
Ελπίζω ότι έχετε απολαύσει τη σημερινή δημοσίευση.

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Επίσης θα σας αρέσει: 
<< A Special Pillow for a Friend                       HOME                                  Covering It Up!!  >>
I love it when I get your comments and I will reply to each and every one of them. ​
Μ ‘αρέσει όταν παίρνω τα σχόλιά σας και θα απαντήσω σε καθένα από αυτά.
  1. This is so smart my friend! Love the leather inset look and yours was a smart way to upgrade a worn piece of furniture!

  2. Pili says:

    Mary the table looks so good now. I’ve seen lots of coffee tables similar, with leather inside and the rest wood so it doesn’t seem as a fixed table but a store bought one. It also combines with the sofa, so much improvement. They should be proud of you and look forward to mama to come back

    • Mary says:

      Thank Pili. When I first did it I was looking for a practical solution because they were spilling food all over it. It was only afte I was done that I realized how nice it looked.

  3. debbie says:

    I have seen tables made this way at the store. They probably were a vinyl or leather but still yours looks just like them. A great solution and a wonderful function for a table that gets used.

  4. Great solution! It looks like a stylish and manly table now.

    • Mary says:

      That’s exactly what I was going for. My dad wanted to put a plastic tablecloth on it, but I wouldn’t hear of it.

  5. Laurie says:

    This was a really great solution for the table and looks great too. All in all, an easy project that just “works”! Pinned.

    • Mary says:

      And has worked for the past two years. I am amazed that it survived this long with my boys eating on there all the time. Thanks Laurie!

  6. Julie says:

    It looks so stylish, much better than covering it with plastic mats. Good to hear it’s stood the test of time too.

  7. Lucy Blossom says:

    Beautiful and stylish too, such a great idea

    • Mary says:

      And two years later it is still in great shape, something I didn’t expect. That vinyl has proved to be very durable.

  8. Anna says:

    That table looks perfect in your boys’ batchelor pad!

    • Mary says:

      And believe it or not, a year later it is still going strong! Anna, the faux leather is not only pretty but it is durable!!

  9. Keri says:

    Mary, this is such a wonderful solution to the table! The contact paper looks beautiful and sleek on the table and I like how you placed it to where it looks like the wood frames it, just like leather inlay. Brilliant Mary just brilliant!

    • Mary says:

      And to think Keri that I had no idea what I was doing when I started it. I just wanted to protect the table from all the food.

  10. How funny. I remember having neighbors (when I was a child) who covered all their furniture with plastic. I didn’t realize it was a Greek thing. Your solution is brilliant. Pinning this for sure.

    • Mary says:

      When I was a little girl our sofas were covered in plastic. It was horrible. I don’t know if it was exclusively a Greek thing or a thing of the 70’s. Whatever it was it was awful and my dad is still stuck there. 😉

  11. Florence says:

    Another great solution to a common problem! If it had been me, I would have labored over it to remove the water marks with some stuff that claims to remove them. But yours looks so much better. Like you say, the table looks updated. In fact, it looks like a leather topped table. I can see why your sons like it!

    • Mary says:

      Florence I was going to do just that and then I came to my senses. Even if I removed the marks they would just mess it up again. This is a permanent solution that keeps the table mark free.

  12. Amber Harrop says:

    What a clever solution Mary I should use this on my daughter’s furniture they are so messy !

    • Mary says:

      Amber I think these vinyl contact papers also come in a variety of patters, so they would be perfect for girls too.

  13. The Brilliant idea Mary! The table looks like it came that way, and it looks great! I do believe you are a genius Mary! You are always coming up with a brilliant idea that it so simple but makes a big impact on the piece. Love it!!!

    • Mary says:

      Linda my dad wanted to cover it with plastic tableclothes and little placemats. But that would not have solved the problem. Also it reminded me of olden days when folks used to do this. I am so glad I did this and that it has stood up to all the abuse bachelors can give it.

  14. Hello Mary,
    simple, effective and stylish as well. Guess your boys were happy you were there to put things right 😉
    Have a great weekend,
    Marjan

  15. What an excellent idea. When I saw the picture I thought it was a leather topped table. I bet the guys like it since it updated the table and is so stylish.

  16. Beverly says:

    I love that contact paper and it gives the table a completely different look. What a great solution!

  17. Theresa says:

    What a great idea. Even looks like leather. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. shared.

  18. Kathy says:

    That coffee table has great lines and adding contact paper with a chic texture and color is perfect to prevent those water stains! Thanks for sharing at The Creative Circle. Hope to see you next week.

  19. Debbie says:

    That’s indeed a very common problem. I’m always around with place mats to avoid the marks from glasses.
    I love your solution. It looks really nice.
    Thanks for sharing it on Tip Tuesday!

  20. Laurie says:

    Mary, What a fantastic job you did on the table! I love the use of the faux leather contact paper, don’t know that I have ever seen that before, but as I was reading your post, my mind was already spinning at the possibilities 🙂 Thank you for sharing with us at Brag About It! I’ll be featuring this at our party next week. Hope you will join us 🙂
    ~Laurie

    • Mary says:

      Laurie, I am speechless. I want to thank you for the feature. I was able to find this at a Kmart, while visiting in New York last year. I ended up using the whole roll all over the boys’ apartment.

  21. HA! As soon as I saw the title in the link party I thought to myself ” she must have boys ” 🙂

    • Mary says:

      You hit the nail on the head Deb. And big boys at that. But boys WILL be boys no matter the age. And so we came up with a decent solution.

  22. I’m sold on the idea! With three crazy kids our furniture shows wear and tear, stains and spills. We’re all for a cheap and practical fix!

    • Mary says:

      Audra this has been a life saver, and there is none of that sliding plastic stuff on the table. Everybody is happy, even grandpa!!

  23. What a great bachelor pad! Wow! Everything matches! I didn’t have a decent set of furniture til I was in my mid 20s and I’m a girl. We usually put it together sooner than boys. It looks like your sons should be thankful their mom can turn nothing into a treasure!!
    The table looks great, what a wonderful solution! I love the texture of the contact paper! It really looks great! I’m sure the boys love it!

    • Mary says:

      Nikki, I’m going to tell you a little secret. This was last year when I was visiting them. I’d be afraid to see what it looks like now. I mean the table is fine, as for the rest of the room…. well, they are bachelors.

  24. Lisa B. says:

    This is a very clever idea for a very common problem. It does match the sofa! Thank you for linking up with us and sharing over at the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party!

  25. This is such a great idea to redo a stained piece of furniture!! I was hoping to find instructions to go along with it to show off on pinterest for my craft readers 😉 Thanks for linking up to my DIY Crush party! I pinned it as well! Can’t wait to see what you will link up Thursday!!

    • Mary says:

      Denise, I did this a year ago and realized after I left my guys that I hadn’t taken many pictures. I didn’t have a blog then. It’s pretty straightforward. Just measure the area you want to cover and place the contact paper. Thanks for your encouragement.

  26. Mimi says:

    Oh you are clever Mary. This is genius! Thanks for sharing at Five Star Frou-Frou. Love, Mimi xxx

  27. Life Loving says:

    What a simple but effective solution. No need to worry about what goes on that table now. So many people would have tossed that table away and bought a new one. You’ve given it a new lease of life.
    Thanks for sharing the post at #LifeLovingLinkie
    Sally @ Life Loving

    • Mary says:

      Exactly my thoughts Sally! They don’t need a fancy table at this stage, this one is perfectly fine.

  28. Gotta love a simple solution! Very clever! Thank you for sharing @Vintage Charm!

  29. Leanne says:

    simple and stylish – two of my favourite things (plus it is manly enough to keep your boys happy!) well done 🙂

    • Mary says:

      Leanne, it had better be manly othewise they would have thrown it out. I love the simplicity of it as well. Even grandpa was happy with it.

  30. Linda says:

    You would never know this was contact paper. Brilliant idea!! You have found an easy way to fix a piece of damaged furniture. Good for you. I’m pinning to my furniture board also. Linda @Crafts a la mode

    • Mary says:

      Linda this contact paper was the best. I ended up using it on other pieces of furniture as well. Thanks for the pin.

  31. Ok, this is another genius idea of yours! Not only does it serve to cover the stains, but it’s easy for your sons to keep clean and it looks great with the whole room!!! I watched that movie several times and loved it!!! Well, cover everything in plastic sure helps keep stuff clean!!! Do you also like to use windex for everything 😉 hahaha that was so funny!

    • Mary says:

      Yeah, I kept on thinking about that movie, because when I was little we had plastic covered furniture too. It must have been a Greek thing. So this was the best solution for everyone and it doesn’t look like a bunch of plastic.

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