Side Table Makeover
I should have taken before pictures of the tables but this was before I decided to start blogging my projects. What you will learn about me is that I love doing makeovers and I'm super cheap! I think I'm creative too haha so that helps ;) I was needing a coffee table or side tables for my living room. I live in a one bedroom apartment, and it's my first place by myself. I've lived with roommates before but never really had to furnish the apartments. I had basic things like a mattress, and my parents gave me a mini recliner that we had bought years ago. I had two dressers that were made out of the coated particle wood but the hardware didn't match (that's another project for another day). So I'm in the process of making my place into a home where things match and all that. Much more grown up. I figure since I'm 27 it's time for me to start having matching furniture etc.
Ok so back to the tables (you'll also find me rambling a lot which I will try to control). I also live next to the dumpsters in my complex, and it's kind of in the ghetto? So when people move, it's easier for them just to throw it away either because it's hold or because the government will give them enough money to buy new furniture in the new place that the government is also paying for (don't get me started!!!). So sometimes there is pretty much crap but occasionally there are some treasures to be found. One such instance were two side tables. About 2 feet tall, and 18" x 24"? Perfect side tables! So I took them in like little orphan children and made them beautiful!
First thing I did was paint them black all over. Easy enough. (Sorry, again no pictures but I'm sure your imagination can handle an all black side table.) I wanted a cool design on the top so with my limited graphic design skills this is what I came up with:
I did it in gray scale so I had an idea the variety of colors I might use, and to get an idea of how much better it would look if each shape was a different color as opposed to all the same color.
Then I cut out the shapes so I could use it as a stencil to paint the table.
This would have been easier if I could have printed or drawn this pattern on a heavier weighted paper or piece of plastic like a real stencil. That way I could have cut out the shapes and then painted right on top of it. As it was, I printed it out on the copier at work so it was a regular piece of paper. I don't even have an exacto knife so I had to cut them out with regular scissors. I ended up having to trace the shapes and then paint them.
The easiest way was not to plan out the colors ahead of time. I just painted them randomly, doing one color at a time. So I painted all the red shapes first, and the yellow ones, and so on. But I guess if you're OCD then......
Oh and by the way, the original design had those tear drop and diamond shapes but I considered it too labor intensive so I decided not to include that in the design.
I chose the colors from my curtain I have hanging over my one window in my living room, and you'll see how amazing I am because it ended up also matching the colors from the pillows I have on my couch! The only reason the colors are different hues or shades in each picture was because of lighting or the filter I used when I edited the pictures or if I had the flash on.
My curtain. Picture is a little blurry but you get the idea.
I finished them off with a good sealer since I used acrylic paint for the design. If water got to that, the paint would rub off or smear. I used a basic indoor semi gloss paint to paint the tables black. I bought a lot of the black since I had some other furniture to paint black for the living room.
Anyway so that's that! They've held up well ever since, and I, of course, love them! The most expensive part about this project was the paint and supplies which put me at around $15-$20 total.
Ok so back to the tables (you'll also find me rambling a lot which I will try to control). I also live next to the dumpsters in my complex, and it's kind of in the ghetto? So when people move, it's easier for them just to throw it away either because it's hold or because the government will give them enough money to buy new furniture in the new place that the government is also paying for (don't get me started!!!). So sometimes there is pretty much crap but occasionally there are some treasures to be found. One such instance were two side tables. About 2 feet tall, and 18" x 24"? Perfect side tables! So I took them in like little orphan children and made them beautiful!
First thing I did was paint them black all over. Easy enough. (Sorry, again no pictures but I'm sure your imagination can handle an all black side table.) I wanted a cool design on the top so with my limited graphic design skills this is what I came up with:
I did it in gray scale so I had an idea the variety of colors I might use, and to get an idea of how much better it would look if each shape was a different color as opposed to all the same color.
Then I cut out the shapes so I could use it as a stencil to paint the table.
This would have been easier if I could have printed or drawn this pattern on a heavier weighted paper or piece of plastic like a real stencil. That way I could have cut out the shapes and then painted right on top of it. As it was, I printed it out on the copier at work so it was a regular piece of paper. I don't even have an exacto knife so I had to cut them out with regular scissors. I ended up having to trace the shapes and then paint them.
The easiest way was not to plan out the colors ahead of time. I just painted them randomly, doing one color at a time. So I painted all the red shapes first, and the yellow ones, and so on. But I guess if you're OCD then......
Oh and by the way, the original design had those tear drop and diamond shapes but I considered it too labor intensive so I decided not to include that in the design.
I chose the colors from my curtain I have hanging over my one window in my living room, and you'll see how amazing I am because it ended up also matching the colors from the pillows I have on my couch! The only reason the colors are different hues or shades in each picture was because of lighting or the filter I used when I edited the pictures or if I had the flash on.
My curtain. Picture is a little blurry but you get the idea.
I finished them off with a good sealer since I used acrylic paint for the design. If water got to that, the paint would rub off or smear. I used a basic indoor semi gloss paint to paint the tables black. I bought a lot of the black since I had some other furniture to paint black for the living room.
Anyway so that's that! They've held up well ever since, and I, of course, love them! The most expensive part about this project was the paint and supplies which put me at around $15-$20 total.
I love it!! I love your design and stencil- way to go Mallory!!
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