Coffee Table: From Grungy to Glittering

Like a raw gem, this worn coffee table needed some polishing.

It definitely looked like it had tumbled from a crumbling mountain! Since I received it for free (woohoo!), I could risk getting creative with it. My theme: the green and black gemstone malachite.

Excavating

The first step was removing that badly damaged surface. I used my carbide scraper and then 400 grit sandpaper to get a nice smooth finish.

I also needed to address the fact that one leg wasn’t attached! The hanger bolts that held it to the frame were missing. These double-ended screws bore into the leg on one side (what’s missing in the top leg here). Then the bolts are fed through a hole in the table frame and secured with a nut.

Mining Potential

Now it was time to get creative! I revved up my router and created diagonal grooves across the top of the table.

Then I painted these channels a deep green with Farmhouse® Paint “Jalapeno.”

Next, I mixed up a batch of clear epoxy resin to fill the channels and stirred in gold microglitter. These particles suspend in the resin, giving the stripes depth (and a little bling).

Then I stained the top with Minwax® Espresso to add dimension to the look. Unfortunately, despite being treated with pre-stain conditioner, the wood wouldn’t take the stain evenly. That meant I had to strip the top again and then paint it.

Polishing the Facets

Consequently, I painted both the body and top of the table in “Black Noir” by Farmhouse® Paint. Then I applied Minwax® Polycrylic for protection over the entire piece.

Finally, I installed new hardware to match the malachite theme and coordinate with the gold glitter.