Budget Decorating
(featured column)
Coffee
Table Transformations
by
Kathy Wilson
Furniture, even
accent furniture can be one of the top budget busters when decorating your home.
Finding a coffee table that is affordable, yet interesting, can be quite a
chore. Here is an easy project that can easily be adapted to fit a variety of
styles and circumstances. More...
I started using an old bench as a base for my coffee table. It was narrow enough
not to take up too much space in my small family room, and the finish was in
relatively good shape. (Plus, I already had it laying around; it was free!)
First, I used a hand saw to take two inches off the bottom of the legs, to bring
it to the height of a coffee table. Most coffee tables are between 16-18 inches
high.
Next, I chose some old ceramic floor tiles I had leftover from an old project to
become the new top. It would be easy to clean when my kids ate on it, yet add a
touch of elegance to my cottage style room. The tiles did not cover the entire
surface to the edge however, so a quick run to Home Depot yielded some edging
tiles to fill in the space and add a finishing touch.
Since the bench finish was in good shape, I simply sanded the top to allow the
tile adhesive to grab better. You could also paint the entire piece as well to
match your decor, but still sand the top.
I applied a small tub of tile adhesive to the entire top, then lay the tile
quickly and push down gently to set. Make sure you have the tiles laid out in
the way you wish them to appear on the table to save time. (You don't want the
adhesive to set before you are done!) Clean up any adhesive off the bench or
tiles with a damp cloth. Allow to set at least 24 hours before using.
The tile layout can be simple as mine was, or an elaborate mosaic design. I
chose not to grout my tiles as they fit together so nicely, but grouting would
be best with lots of small tiles.
This project can be done on any piece of furniture from a bench to a chest to a
cut down dining table.
Consider asking your local flooring specialty shop if they have tiles that are
going to be thrown out, or any broken tiles you could use for mosaic. Many times
they will let you have them for free.
It doesn't take much work to add style and interest to any piece of furniture,
and repurposing furniture for a use other than what it was intended always makes
the room more fun!
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Copyright © 2007 by Kathleen Wilson. All
rights reserved.
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