Today I’m excited to share an EASY DIY farmhouse coffee table makeover.   If you have followed my blog you know I started with DIY home projects (and had no idea how to write a blog post) but got side tracked with “fashion” content.   (Side note – should we call someone who wears leggings and t-shirts most days a fashion blogger?)

Farmhouse Coffee Table Makeover

I had been wanting a farmhouse coffee table for quite some time but struggled to find what I had envisioned.  For a couple months I was checking Craigslist and peeking at yard sales for a coffee table I could transform into my vision. I was having no luck and then my friends mentioned Facebook marketplace during a happy hour.   My first time going on I saw this table listed for only $15 – JACKPOT!   This was EXACTLY what I was looking for and totally beginner’s luck.

I sanded off the finish on the tabletop in hopes it would take the stain quickly and I could be nearly done after this step.  Alas, I didn’t like the way the stain was absorbing so I decided to re-route to my original plan and add wood “planks” over the tabletop.   Spare yourself the time and elbow grease and don’t bother with the sanding.

Below you see the stain I used – Minwax “Classic Gray”.  The stain would have darkened with several coats but I didn’t feel it would get to the look I was going for.

I feel like in the picture below this table looks like a cow thrown on it’s back in a compromising position.   Anyway, that made things awkward.  My Home Depot did not carry any off-white chalk paint so I opted for my first try at spray painting furniture.   I used this Rustoleum spray paint with primer in matte “French Cream” (cheaper at Home Depot).  It took me 2 cans but they were under $6 each and included primer.  The process was much faster than using chalk paint and painting my hand.   Before I painted I did a rough sanding over the paint and then wiped it down with a damp rag to get the dust off.  I have painted furniture without sanding first and didn’t notice much of a difference as long as primer (or chalk paint) was used.

Furniture flips are an art – not a science.   Expect to rework your plan during the project.

I headed to Home Depot to get some wood for the table top.  I used two 5″x12′ boards.   Make sure to measure your tabletop before you head to the store.   Boards that say they’re 5 inches wide are less (this is true for almost all wood at hardware stores).   Six boards wide exactly filled my 27″ wide table.   I highly recommend knowing your measurements when you head in to buy wood because it will save you SO MUCH TIME to have your hardware store cut the wood for you.   We ended up trimming the wood a bit because I brought rough measurements to the store.  I did have the Home Depot workers do rough cuts at the store so the wood would be easier to transport home.   They’ll cut your wood for free if you don’t have the right tools at home – just ask in store!

Here is the tabletop before I added the wood I purchased from Home Depot.

We had a Ryobi nail gun that I purchased when I was an avid DIY’er 🙂 – (over eager much???).   I recruited my hubby to use 2″ finishing nails to attach the wood planks to the table top.  I am not someone who is safe to use kitchen knives, let alone a nail gun.

I grabbed my palm sander and sanded the top and edges of the tabletop smooth.   My kids are likely to crash their heads into this table at some point – but I can at least prevent splinters!

After cleaning the dust off the table I applied the “Classic Gray” Stain to the tabletop.  I applied 2 coats of stain.   Make sure you wipe off any excess that hasn’t rubbed in within 10 minutes.   You don’t want your tabletop tacky.

I let the stain dry for several hours in the sun (a day would have been better but I’m impatient) and added 3 coats of spray polyurethane for durability.   I waited 1 hour between thin coats and then left it outside to dry overnight.   This farmhouse coffee table is now in our main living space off our kitchen so I wanted the wood to be very durable.

My last step was to quickly run the palm sander over a couple of painted areas to give the table’s undercarriage a distressed look.   Now I won’t feel so bad if my kids chip the paint with their toys.   You could add a clear wax over the paint for durability.  I live with 2 boys under 5 years old so I embrace the distressed look and skipped that step.

Shop Home Decor:

If you’re in the market for a farmhouse coffee table but aren’t the DIY type here are some tables you can purchase without breaking the bank:

Surely I skipped over some details you may want if you’re new to DIY’s and want to attempt this.   Feel free to drop a comment below and I’m happy to help answer if I can!

Thanks so much for reading.   I am so appreciative of all of you who come to visit!!!