Sofa Table Makeover: From Collegiate to Coveted

This sofa table was being used as a TV stand in a college apartment.

The guys were unloading it since they were graduating, and I couldn’t wait to dive in. In fact, I was in such a hurry that I forgot to take my usual “before” pic. Here’s what I saw online – and what I saw was POTENTIAL!

Step One: Stain

The finish of the tabletop was cracked and peeling, so I had to strip it down with my sander all the way to raw wood and start over. Here is the sanded top, half treated with wood conditioner. Applying wood conditioner first allows the stain to better soak into the wood.

I was really hoping the interesting wood pattern on the top wasn’t just a veneer that would be lost with the sanding. I was delighted to see it survived. And the Minwax® espresso stain I applied made it look more gorgeous than I’d ever expected! All this top needed now was a few coats of protective poly.

Step Two: Paint

I really like the look of navy furniture with wood tops, so I ran with it again here. (See a past navy/wood combo here: serendipitysequels.com/?p=91) Since the paint was so dark, I didn’t need to use primer first. After a light sanding, I applied two coats of Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint® in “Oxford Navy” topped with a protective coat of Annie Sloan’s® wax.

Step Three: The Details

The unique drawer handles had originally caught my eye. They were wrapped in what looked like tan suede. When I removed and unfolded the fabric, I discovered it was just worn down! It was really meant to be a dark brown leather-look. Serendipity! I had remnants of a matching material from a recent project. So, I made new handle covers to replace the old worn ones.

Why be great on the outside but boring inside? This fresh liner paper really makes the drawers zing.