After three years with an old hand-me-down couch set, it was finally time to get a new one! With new couches picked out and on their way it was time to find a new coffee table!
After spending hours which turned into weeks looking on Wayfair, furniture stores, and Pinterest for just the right coffee table. We decided that we didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a coffee table and end tables. Building them were the better option.
I found a few sets of plans on Pinterest and then narrowed down which one would be best for our living room. I decided on Ana-Whites Rustic X Coffee Table, which had a rustic, simple look and black accents that tied in with the rest of our furniture which is black/dark brown. I then started watching tutorials and called up my dad to help me.
Father-Daughter day started out at Lowes where Dad taught me the trick to picking out wood. I learned where to find the right wood lengths and widths. That a 2 x 4 is not actually 2 inches by 4 inches. To look down the wood length wise to make sure its not warped. Also, to check for imperfections (cracks, knots, etc). We dug through piles of lumber, grabbed a couple new tools and were off to begin building the table.
Luckily my nephew was at the house to help us unload the truck. He was such a big help!
How cute is this?!
The original plans were for a table that was far too large for our living room. I had a size in mind so we then adapted the plans to meet my measurements. We did this as we went but I suggest doing it ahead of time so that you know exactly how much wood you need. After a few cuts of wood, a bunch of pocket holes and screws and the table was soon in my car and ready to come home!
Next step: STAIN!
I wanted the look of old barn wood so I started reading up on how to achieve this. I decided on oxidizing the wood with black tea, vinegar and steel wool. I let a piece of steel wool (grade #0000) sit in a glass jar of vinegar for a couple of days. I first sanded the table and then coated it with strong black tea and let it dry overnight. Next, I coated the table with the steel wool/vinegar solution. It was amazing how fast it started changing the color of the wood. Overnight was when the real magic happened, it darkened a lot! I took the sander too it and made it look distressed. This was a very dusty process! It still didn't look right to me so I followed up by putting a whitewash on it. It was now the color I was looking for!
We finished the table off by applying a couple coats of polyurethane and then added some decorative pieces. Chad spray painted corner brackets (I hit them with a hammer to give them a distressed look first) and bolts, let them dry and screwed them into the table.
We're pretty happy with it for our first big DIY project! Our new living room is coming along nicely.
On to our next DIY project!