Rustic Coffee Table

I loved this table from the moment I saw it in the Restore store.  It needed a little work but I was so excited bring out it's true beauty.  This thing was heavy too!  It weighed about 40 lbs, that's a lot for a coffee table.

Before picture

Don't you just love my couch!  Anyway, poor thing sat in my garage for a few months before I dusted it off and brought it in to begin the work.  Some trim work needed replaced and two feet had cracked off.  After days of patching, nailing, gluing and clamping it was paint time.  Yes I like to paint everything.  Some people want to cry when I say "lets paint it" but that's what I love.  I do keep some things with the original stain but lets be honest somethings just look better painted.   However, this piece had me stumped.  What color should it be?  I did love the dark wood look and painting it solid would just make it look like a big painted block.  Not the look I was going for.  So I decided to try my hand at white washing.  I was a little heavier on the paint then most white washed furniture I had seen but that was OK.  Once that step was finished I decided to take some gel stain and blend it in on the areas I left less painted.  That just looked funny.  Then along came the sand paper and made everything PERFECT!!  Sandpaper truly can work miracles :)  

Don't you just love it!!