Coastal Inspired Pine Table Upcycle

Welcome to 2014, old pine coffee table! I fell in love with your solid lines, bold moulding and ample storage but I gotta say, I didn’t love your look. But now I adore you. This is Part II of a 3-piece pine furniture set transformation. Did you miss Part I? Read about it here.

This has been one of my favorite pieces to learn on and I love the outcome (when my husband told me yesterday that he couldn’t stop looking at it, I knew I had done a good job. PS: I can’t stop staring at it either.). I’m so excited to share this transformation with you! Here’s a quick before and after shot:

This coffee table is a beast but I love it. It has replaced a well-loved ottoman that was doubling as a coffee table in our TV/family room. I loved the easy transport of the ottoman but am so happy that we now have storage as well as a place to rest our feet (yes, we have a “feet are welcome on the coffee table” understanding in our house).

Now let’s talk about how I transformed this piece. There was nothing difficult about updating the coffee table BUT, it did take quite a bit of time. First, I removed all of the hardware and in doing so, I realized the cabinet doors should come off. Permanently. Once the doors were off, I filled the holes left behind from the screws with caulk. I had to reapply the caulk a few times to completely fill the holes. While drying, I power sanded the entire top of the coffee table to prepare it for stain. I lightly sanded the rest by hand because I planned to prime and paint those surfaces.

For the top, I wanted a beachy, driftwood look. I used Minwax Wood Stain (water based, clear tint base) in River Stone. I wanted a somewhat sheer look on top so I mixed the stain with water in an old yogurt container to thin it out. After removing all dust from the surface, I applied a generous coat of the watered down stain with a clean rag and wiped off the excess with another rag. I reapplied the stain several times using the same technique (allowing for proper drying time in between). Once the final coat had completely dried (I allowed several days to be sure), I used a sanding sponge to distress the edges and to reveal a few of the knots in the pine. I sealed the top with several coats of wipe-on polyurethane.

As for the base of the coffee table, I primed and then painted the outside as well as the “cubby” I created with paint I had leftover from a previous project. White is tough to work with because it requires 3-5 coats. When the paint was completely dry (again, best to wait a few days), I applied a few coats of water-based polyacrylic.

I searched high and low for hardware to replace the pulls but no dice. They are an unusual size (width is narrower than the 3″ standard) and nobody local had anything comparable in stock. I found a few online but particularly with hardware, I need to feel it before I buy it. Hardware quality can vary drastically. Since I was keeping the original hardware, a new look was a must. I settled on spraying the pulls with grey spray paint. Once dry, I used a sanding sponge to distress them. They turned out pretty much as expected and I figure I could always replace them if I ever come across just the right fit.

The next project? I already have a plan in motion to repurpose those doors I removed so check back soon for the reveal. Here’s the before shot on the cabinet doors:

Any guesses what I plan to do with them?