From Drab to Detailed: Console Table Makeover

This basic console/entry table was in pretty good shape… or so I thought from this online marketplace pic.

Turns out it had a big chip out of the center of the top. But, since I got it for FREE, I really couldn’t complain. However, I knew that after fixing the ding, this still wasn’t an eye-catcher. It was very… brown. Time for some makeover magic!

First, I had to repair the gouge in the top.

A little wood filler, a lot of sanding, and the top was level again. With a scar like this in the middle, the top would need to be painted. But I didn’t want to lose the rich wood look of the sides. That got me thinking about jazzing up this table with a two-tone look.

I spent a reeeeeealy long time precisely taping up the body of the table in preparation for the detail paint.

(For the record, this is my favorite paint masking tape, Frog Tape.) Then I applied Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint in Athenian Black as my accent color. The deep matte black would complement the slightly glossy wood finish. I spent several hours painting the accent color and trying not to slop onto the part I wanted to keep wood-toned.

After the paint dried, I applied Annie Sloan’s clear wax to protect the surface. Whew, detail work completed without any unwanted drips!

Speaking of detail work, I try to give my furniture a pop of something fun when I can.

I especially like to do this inside drawers so you get a little eye candy in what might otherwise be a mundane space. The proliferation of peel-and-stick wallpapers available online has made shopping for striking drawer liners a real treat.

It’s hard to see in this pic, but I also replaced the blah drawer knob with a sleek black infinity-shaped pull.

Once these last little touches were added, it was time to declare the piece complete!