1. Many items at a thrift store can be drastically changed by a coat of paint
2. I love the color blue
3. Little tables can be turned into sweet benches
So, this post is about all three. :) Plus, I haven't done anything furniture related in a while, and I was itching to do so!
I got this little table at the thrift store for $6.25 on half-off day Saturday. I loved the legs, and the carved detail on the sides. The table was solid for the most part, just needed a few bolts tightened.
Clearly, this table couldn't stay this color. Nope! Not with my love for spray paint, and making things my own. Luckily, the tabletop was held to the base by just 10 screws, so I took those out, and had two pieces that would make painting easier. Out came the white primer. I first did a coat with the table upside down. Then, turned it over to get the other sides of all the details.
(totally shows why you have to turn pieces with detail over... look at that brown peeking through the cracks)
I wanted to turn this little table into a bench after I brought it inside, and placed it under the window next to my new orange curtains. During one of my HomeFabrics store trips, I got an array of fabrics, and had to choose what would look best. I ultimately went for the slate blue velvet type fabric to cover the top. It was a remnant of sorts, and was 1 yard for $2. :) deal. deal. deal!
Covering the top wasn't difficult. I used a cut of 1" foam, and two layers of quilters batting (I picked up the bag for $0.99 on a thrift trip once. Always be on the lookout for craft supplies too!). The top only required a piece of fabric about 28 x 20. I used spray adhesive to adhere the foam to the top of the table, then laid that down on the batting and the fabric (which was upside down). I used my staple gun, with shallower upholstery staples, and pulled and gathered like I did when I made this fabric covered headboard.
After the padded top was complete, and the primer had dried, I went back outside and hit the table with a coat of a light grey spray paint, by doing the same two-step approach like with the primer.
Truly, the next step was the most difficult! Screwing it back together. Seriously?! Yes. Because the screws were at an angle, I had to turn the orientation of the table around, and then really push the base onto the newly padded top, so that the screws would grab the mdf board my new bench top was made of. After about 20 minutes of playing with it, I had all screws tightened down, and stood back and admired my little stool.
(This photo is for the sake of contrast, so you can really see the color. Next to the blue walls (below) it's hard to tell)
Oh, and yes, that's my new Ballard Inspired Bulletin Board that I painted.
Oh, and over the course of this project, I used all these tools:
Now, I think I should have gone with a white base, not grey. What do you think? It's currently sitting in a room with walls painted "Blue Willow" by Pittsburgh Paints. I think the grey legs don't offer enough contrast, and I may go back to white (like the way the primer looks). Our wooden floors will be dark brown, with a grey undertone, and the table I'm covering with Zebra print fabric will be a dark brown or black base.
What do you think? Go White (like Rustoleum's Heirloom white) for the base, or black? Or... something else I hadn't thought of?
Not bad for few bucks huh?! I like my new little padded bench. She's sweet. Can furniture be sweet? Either way, she is. :)
