Living Room Table Makeover & Spread The Kindness Link Up On the Edge #766
I have been a painting fool lately, upgrading everything I can with a fresh coat of color, like my front door, my dining room table, a secondhand desk, repurposed dressers, and a bunch of other things I haven’t even shared with you yet, including this antique table.
I bought this table at an estate sale back in 2011. It was actually two tables when I found it. It had been cut in half and mounted to the walls as two smaller two-legged end tables. I thought it was such a clever way to repurpose a table that I had to have them. I don’t remember what they cost but it wasn’t much at all…just a few dollars if my memory is accurate.
For many years and in multiple homes, we used them as living room end tables. We always referred to them as the half tables. It took some digging but I found a few really old photos of baby Archie with one of the half tables in the background so you can see how quirky these are.
As much as I loved those silly half tables, I decided I didn’t want them anymore when I painted my living room two years ago. Upon my request, my husband easily reattached them so I now had a larger four-legged table that did not need to be bolted to the wall. I had placed the “new” bigger table next to the couch as a temporary end table until I decided where I wanted it permanently. Eventually, I decided that I wanted it permanently exactly where I had it. It’s rather large for an end table, but it is right inside the front door and the extra surface space is convenient and practical.
The table sat in one of the most trafficked areas of the house for the last two years and has taken quite a beating. I was starting to get disgusted by it which meant it was time for a makeover.
First I sanded it down to remove any chippy varnish and to smooth out the shallow scratches. Deeper scratches are difficult to remove but I think they give old furniture more character anyway.
I grabbed some leftover paint in the colors I had used for my living room makeover and turned it into DIY chalk paint. I decided to paint the legs and base of the table in white and the table top in teal. Originally I had planned to slightly distress it before applying the finishing wax but I changed my mind. Instead I very lightly dry-brushed teal paint over the white and white paint over the teal for a different type of distressed look. I love the way the new paint really makes the beautiful carved flowers in the corners stand out.
Finally, I found some lovely secondhand decor for my refreshed secondhand table. I put a dried bouquet of teal roses into one of my raggy vases which is on top of a small turquoise pedestal I found at a thrift store. I also found the ceramic starfish and little rag doll lady in local thrift shops. I bought the old cheese box when I went antiquing with my sister in April and the doily belonged to a friend’s grandmother. This very generous friend gifted me a giant box of vintage doilies and I am loving them so much right now. The lamp is the only thing here that I purchased new but I bought it over 15 years ago. It is still giving me light so it was money well spent.
Isn’t it wonderful what you can do with other people’s unwanted things? I guess that old adage is true…one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. I don’t know who these things belonged to before me but I am grateful that they passed them on and I found them. Or maybe they found me.
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Do you have any old junk that you treasure?
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
27 Comments
Nancy
I think that table would look much better in my hall! I really love it, especially of the sea holiday vibe it gives me. Very well done!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, thanks so much, my friend! It definitely gives off a beachy vibe. If I could paint a table for you and get it to your hallway, you know I would!
xoxo
Shelbee
Steph@Stephcreatesthings
I absolutely love how your table turned out. It’s amazing what paint can do, giving something a completely new look. I love transforming items with paint. Thank you for hosting. Have a lovely weekend. ♡
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Steph, thanks so much! I recently started painting old furniture and I am in love with the whole process from start to finish. It is one of my favorite hobbies now! It’s almost magical how easily it can transform something.
xoxo
Shelbee
Pamela
Those tables would have been calling my name too! Not so much nowadays but the auction room was always my thing years ago for bits of furniture that needed a magic touch. Such fun to see something come to life in a different guise, just love how you’re re-using them yet again!
Pamela
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, Pamela, thank you so much for this lovely comment! Sometimes that’s all an old piece of furniture needs to save it from the landfill…a little bit of magic! I don’t think I will I ever buy brand new furniture again now that I know how to customize all the things to my personal taste. It’s fun and environmentally friendly!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
I always admire people that can upcycle items. I am missing the whole home improvement gene in my body, so I can never do things like this. You should be proud of yourself!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, thanks so much, Jennifer! My mother was always repainting rooms and her father loved to upcycle old junk before upcycling was even a thing so it is definitely in my genes! And I just love doing it for so many reasons from the environmental aspect to the creative aspect.
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
That looks beautiful! I love how the teal on the legs on the legs makes the flowers and design really pop.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend! I really appreciate that.
xoxo
Shelbee
Your True Self
Hi, Shelbee – I absolutely adore your beautifully painted living room table! Wow, fantastic job! I have been wondering what to do to my beautiful wooden front door that got scratched up over decades of furniture scraping it while being moved in and out. Now I feel like getting up some energy to sand and restain or paint it. Thanks – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Angie! That sounds like a wonderful idea for your door. Is there a color you always imagined on your front door? I wanted something welcoming and so I chose teal for my front door and I absolutely love it. Not the whole front of my house from my living room to my front porch is in shades of teal.
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail Is This Mutton
Thanks for the feature!
Great to see how your half tables continue to evolve! They’ve earned their place. I love how the flower carvings stand out now.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Gail, thanks so much! This weird little table really has evolved and has become sort of family heirloom now.
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
Thank you so much for featuring my Jamestown post. I so appreciate it. Your table turned out great!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Amy! I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Melynda Brown
I love a room refresh! It seems to make everything new again…thanks for the visit and the link-up! Melynda@scratchmadefood!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Melynda! I agree with you!
xoxo
Shelbee
Debra | Gma’sPhoto
Do you have a pet robbit?! I see a cutie in the image of your living room with table prior to makeover. I used to have a pet rabbit. It was when I was still living at home. My parents wanted to train it to use a litter box and let run around the house. Thumper was his name.
The table looks adorable. The rabbit is what caught and kept my attention! hahaha
Take care and best wishes.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Debra! We did have a pet rabbit. His name was George and he was litter box trained (mostly) and ran all around the house. The cats were not big fans of the rabbit but sadly he died a few years ago. He was a very cool pet but when he was out of his cage he didn’t use his litter box. He just went wherever he wanted…often including on people! I miss his presence but not his pooping!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Shelbee, the table was so unique when you cut it in two and mounted it to the walls. But, now, it just shines with all the glory she deserves! I love doing that kind of painting. Have you ever tried dry brushing? I think that you would get the same effect. Now, you have me wanting to paint our dining room table and hutch (again). But, Mike has said, quite firmly, nope! We ordered it custom way, way back in the late 80s or early 90s. It means a lot to him, I think, because it was our very first expensive furniture purchase. I love the teal and the way you’ve accessorized the table! You are rockin’, my friend! Thanks for the link up, too!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend! I actually did use dry brushing on this one to create the distressed effect. I did it on another piece as well that I will share soon. I am sure that your dining room set is super special to you both! Hopefully it will remain an heirloom in your family. I still have my great grandmother’s dressers and vanity from the 1920s that I have kept in their original state all these years. They are going to get painted one day as well because they are really beat up and definitely need a makeover. Right now the vanity is in my bedroom but the two dressers are sitting unused in the basement. So much to do!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy Turner
I love it, Shelbee! The colours you painted it are beautiful. I love old furniture, especially when it’s come from thrift stores, estate sales, auctions etc! Sadly, we dont have estate sales here, otherwise I’d be visiting them all the time lol!
Hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Suzy, thanks so much! This is my favorite furniture makeover that I have done so far. It is quite literally the dining room table of my dreams! I couldn’t have commissioned someone to do this. It had to happen the way it did and now it is perfection!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy Turner
It certainly is! I especially love all the greens (but you knew that already lol!). xx
Michelle
I absolutely adore your table makeover. The little flowers on the legs really pop now. And you know I love teal. 😁
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend! You are going to love my front porch makeover then! I still have a bit more to finish before I share the photos though. Right now it just looks incomplete.
xoxo
Shelbee