Aqua and Coral Queen Anne Coffee Table with Decoupage

*Beware stream-of-conciousness rant* I originally had a vision for this coffee table to be painted blue and left at that, but then I thought the orange trim would look really cute and then I decided a stenciled table top would look gorgeous but I've tried (and failed) to do a nice stencil previously and didn't want to ruin the table... and then I hit Pinterest.

Decoupage! I read a few blogs including this one from Apartment Therapy and decided to give it a shot. If you want to see some of the other decoupage projects I looked at- have a look at my Pinterest collection 'Furniture Inspiration' you can find and follow my stuff here.

The final product- complete with glass top which doesn't make for great photographs!

So after painting the legs and trim I set about working on the decoupage top. First stop was Spotlight where I was very impressed with the range of Scrapbooking paper. Most decoupaging websites said that you had to be careful that the paper you chose was not too thick so I was a little worried, but I found this fine to use. While there I also picked up some glue. Every site I looked at recommended Modge Podge glue but I couldn't find this, so I bought some generic brand of glue labelled 'Decoupage Glue' and figured that would do the trick!

Next I procrastinated, not wanting to make a mistake.

Then, I set to work. I trimmed the scrapbooking sheets so that I would cover the whole table without the joins being too obvious. Then I worked out the order that I would place the sheets down, leaving the middle piece last, so that it would hide any overlap. I covered the whole of the table top with glue using a foam roller, this is to ensure an even consistency. Then I put the paper on, adding a layer of glue to the back of each piece of paper before placing them in position. I found that the glue dried very quickly and there was only a very narrow window of opportunity for re-positioning, so it's best to be sure before you place them down. I repeated this until the entire table was covered then used my hands and the roller to work out any air bubbles. This part of the process is very similar to when you were in school and had to contact your school books. Thanks Mum for the valuable experience! I used a paint brush to apply a top coat of the glue to seal the paper. I did this because I find the coverage more thorough with a paint bush than with a roller, but I'm sure you could use either.

The coffee table came with a glass overlay to protect the top of the table so I popped this back on, however if there were no protective layer I would recommend sealing the project again with a poly so that you can happily wipe down the surface and keep it clean. Unfortunately the glass makes it difficult to photograph and show the true beauty of this piece so I've taken a few photos without the glass on so that you have a better idea of the effect. This is definitely one of those pieces that looks better in real life though!

Without the glass top but still with a little reflection

I do love the look of this one, if I didn't already have an awesome coffee table I would be keeping it for myself!

Want to buy it? Check it out on my sales page.

Like some advice for decoupage or to have a piece of furniture done for your own sweet self? Contact me via my Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/RetroVintageLove

Pale Blue and Whitewashed Distressed Coffee Table

My new coffee table. Love!!

I am beyond in love with my new coffee table. It's an old pine number that in its previous life was stained stained stained! I spent HOURS sanding out the thickest, deepest, darkest stain and as I did, this gorgeous timber grain appeared. Here is a (terrible) pic of the table before its makeover.



The coffee table before. I cannot describe how thick this stain was.

This piece of furniture is for our own home, which I love doing because I can paint with COLOUR! When I'm doing pieces for sale I try to be a little mindful of the fact that not everyone loves colour as much as I do, but I really think that once you've got some coloured pieces in your life you'll never want to go back again. Try it and see!

 

I had initially planned the pale blue legs with an oil top, similar to my shabby chic white hall table, but I was just loving the bare timber. Then my brother in law (BIL) mentioned that he had seen some cool white wash furniture whilst he was out and about (he's a very talented sparky) and the seed was planted. If you're following me on Pinterest you'll have noticed that I pinned quite a few white wash pieces on my Furniture Inspiration page. If you're not following me on Pinterest what a great opportunity to check out my boards, lol- search for Retro Vintage Love Furniture and you'll find me!

I painted the base in a pale blue / aqua of my own making and distressed them- I think the distressed look goes perfectly with the whitewash top, even though my husband just doesn't 'get' distressed. He thinks I've missed spots even though I actually spend quite a bit of time planning where I will distress and exactly how much to distress!

I loved trying out the whitewash technique. The effect is very subtle. I used about 1:4 paint to water ratio and was working quickly to brush on/rub off within about 30 seconds for each section. If you're new to painting this would be a great technique to try. I honestly don't think you could stuff it up, it's fast and fun. If you would like to give it a try and have any questions, please just email me or leave a comment! I finished my top with a spray of British Paints Poly top coat. I'm going to give it a week and see if I want to give it another coat too, depending on how much wear I use.




And finally, the finishing touch, I found the CUTEST little knob in a little shop near Eltham train station (this is also where I got the knobs for the little chest on my cover picture). How much do you love this stag?! If you haven't noticed, deer are the new birds. They are suddenly popping up in all the decorating magazines. As are cow skulls, which I am yet to be sold on. I love how the colours on this knob match perfectly with the top of the table.



What coloured furniture do you have (or want) in your home?

Til next time, happy painting!