Sunday, January 5, 2014

French style coffee table



recently decided to sell my beautiful coffee table and Miriam snapped it up for a custom paint job. She requested to have it exactly how I would have painted it for myself. A re-stained timber top and the base painted white.


Here's the before if you don't remember - a lovely shape but orange timber.



I had some work to do on this table. 

 The first thing I did was unscrew the timber top from the base. This is not always possible but if it is, and I'm staining the top, I always will do this as it makes the whole process much easier: to not have to worry about getting paint on the timber top, to achieve a neat line around the join and to not worry about not getting stain dripping on your fresh paint is worth the effort. 

One of the drawers braces was missing and if the drawer was pushed in even one centimetre too far, it would fall through to the floor. These are the sort of issues that you put up with yourself, but you fix when you go to sell the piece and then wonder why you didn't just rectify it in the first place. It drove me absolutely nuts for about a year but took about fifteen minutes to rectify.  It was very easy to work out how to fix the drawer as I just copied what was in place on the other side. I cut some timber the correct length and then notched it out so it fit and screwed it in place. I then added bits of timber to stop the drawers sliding in too far. I also added a little guide rail so the drawer would slide in without going off course. Now the drawers work perfectly. 


How to fix drawer slides Lilyfield Life

I stripped and re-stained the top in walnut, then sealed it with an acrylic sealer, then a very durable finishing oil, and then wax for a lovely sheen. It sounds like a lot of work but I wanted something very durable for Miriam as she has young children and needs easy to clean surfaces.


My nephew who has just finished his HSC was looking for some work so I hired him to help me finish some projects before Christmas. He sanded and gave the base two coats of primer and then I painted it a lovely bright white semi gloss acrylic. 





This piece has a very pretty shape and it was when it was all finished, I was kicking myself for selling it but as Phil says I can always find another one. As we will eventually knock off the back of our house and rebuild (no more dodgy concrete floor in the lounge room) I decided that I am happy to sell the coffee table as we won't have a lounge room while we rebuild and it's no point storing something that I'm not even sure will suit the new space.




Hooray for drawers that slide well.



The coffee table and a small bookcase were delivered to Miriam in time for Christmas and she was thrilled with them both. Thanks Miriram for supporting this small time vintage furniture painter. 

Fiona xx

10 comments:

  1. Love it painted white, so pretty. Hugs, Marty

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  2. Just beautiful work on this one.

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  3. Love the change! And did you paint the water color too, neat job!

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    1. it's an app on the iphone Mary - Waterlogue. it's just fabulous
      thanks for commenting -sorry i'm so behind in responding.

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  4. What an amazing difference - love it!!

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    1. Me too!! I should have done this as soon as I bought the coffee table home and not lived with it orange pine for so long!
      Thanks so much xx

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