Out with the Old, in with the New

Back in college, my best friend Megan and I rented our first apartment together and had no money for furniture. So, I decided to be "ecofriendly" and rummage through our neighborhood dumpsters for furniture. I know it sounds gross, but Megan and I made out with a coffee table, end table, and nigh stands. 

They were pretty beat up when I pulled them from the trash but with a little help from a quart of paint, sand paper, and stencils, our first apartment furniture looked shiny and new and cost less than 15 dollars for paint and supplies.

When Tony and I got married, however, my once shiny and new furniture from college looked dated and weathered from many years of use and I've been dying to refurbish them. We have been covering up the top of the table, which is scratched and stained, with a decorative pillow case that moves around every time people put their drinks on it and we know that with a baby in the house, that pillowcase is going to be on teh floor more times than it's on the table. One of my big fears with this table was that if I don't get it done before the baby comes, it won't ever get finished. So, I ventured to the paint store, picked out a great color and went to town on refinishing our coffee table.


I'm so happy with how it turned out. I had a piece of glass made for the top which protects the shadow box insert I made for the middle where I plan to display many wonderful memories over the years with my family, loving husband, and baby on the way. The wood insert pops out and can be flipped over with another pattern when I feel like changing things up and in time, we will make more inserts that I can decorate with fabric and decoupage to give the coffee table versatility throughout the seasons.

I can't to enjoy this coffee table for years to come and if you have an adventurous side to you and need furniture on a tight budget, drive around your neighborhood or apartment complexes nearby and see what people are giving away...

DIY project tip: Buying a quart of paint in your favorite color will only set you back 6-10 bucks and it can completely transform an old piece of furniture. Reburbing old furniture can be done in 3 simple steps. 1) Sand the existing surface and wipe down depris 2) paint 2 coats of new fun paint 3) embellish with stencils or decoupage.