Side Table Makeover

Do you have an ugly piece of furniture you are ready to throw in the trash? Check out this side table makeover to see how a little putty and spray paint creates a stunning transformation.

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I have a secret to share.

When we remodeled our primary bedroom, I needed a small table to go in between the two chairs that we purchased as a seating area.

However, we couldn’t decide if we wanted to make a table or buy one. Since this was the last design element of our primary bedroom, I couldn’t wait for the decision and I slapped a small table in between the chairs.

This ‘table’ was left here when we purchased our over 100 year old house (along with a ton of other garbage stuff that we had to get rid of before we could move our things in. For some reason, we didn’t dispose of this little stand and kept it around to set plants on.

I think it may have been the base for a lamp at one point in time because it has a strange hole in the top. Whatever it’s past life was, it definitely needed a little TLC if I was going to keep it around.

So, here is the secret: I used this table in multiple reveal pictures and just covered it with a scarf to hide the ugly top. 🤫

Sometimes you have to make do with what you have and I couldn’t wait to share the rest of our bedroom with you. So, there you have it.

Since hiding our table under a scarf is not a permanent solution and since we still haven’t decided what to do with our table yet, I gave this table a little face lift so it can live in our bedroom without any shame. Who knows, maybe it will stay for a longer time than I think.

If you have a furniture piece that has a sizable indent and you are planning to paint it, this table makeover might be just the inspiration you need.

Thrifty Thursday

This post is part of the Thrifty Thursday collaboration where a group of talented bloggers upcycle, repurpose, or create cheap home decor projects and tutorials. Check out more projects at the end of this post.

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Materials You Need:

Our Side Table Makeover

Step 1: Fill in the Hole

If you have a gouge in your furniture that needs to be filled and you are planning on painting it, I highly recommend using water putty. It comes in a powder that you mix together with water to create a putty that fills large gouges in your furniture.

Why use water putty?

It won’t shrink and pull away from your edges as it dries. It is a hard durable surface when it dries which is helpful if you are repairing a piece of furniture that has heavy use, such as a table top.

The biggest draw back is that it may not take stain very well so it is best to use if you are planning to paint your furniture.

How to mix and apply the putty:

First put the powder in a disposable container. Slowly add water and stir it until it is the desired consistency (approximately a 3 parts powder to a 1 part water ratio). It should be a similar consistency to mustard and it kind of looks like it too.

Take your shim or multipurpose putty knife (which is a great tool to have in your diy arsenol) and fill in any holes on your furniture. Don’t worry if it looks lumpy. You will sand it later. The most important thing is to fill that hole all of the way to the top.

I ended up using a shim because I had it laying around, but a putty knife can give you more control over your hole filling.

This is what my table looked like before I sanded it, so don’t be afraid to lump it on.

Step 2: Prepare the Surface for Painting

Once your putty is completely dry you can sand it. I like using an orbital sander because it is so much easier to get the job done. It does most of the work for you. I used 220 grit sand paper to sand the hardened putty until it was even with the top of the table. If your surface is not as smooth as you desire, reapply the putty.

I also checked the rest of the table for any other areas that needed sanding. My table had painted legs so I smoothed out any areas where the paint was flaking.

Wipe down the furniture with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or dust.

Step 3: Paint

For smaller jobs like this, I love spray paint. There are so many fun colors. However, if you are painting a larger piece of furniture you can paint it with a paint brush with out leaving too many brush marks by following this tutorial.

For this side table makeover, however, I chose to use spray paint. It is always a good idea to use primer before painting anything. I used spray paint primer since this was a small job.

Remember to protect your work area from over spray and work in a well-ventilated area.

To keep your spray paint from running, use multiple thin coats. Start spraying off of your piece, then slowly move back and forth across your furniture. This prevents large globs from spraying onto your spray paint project and pooling or dripping.

After your primer has dried, spray multiple coats of spray paint in the color you choose using the same technique.

My husband and I have a glitter war going on. I love a little sparkle and he tends to shy away from anything with glitter because it is usually messy.

So I couldn’t help but pick a paint with a little sparkle for our bedroom. I used a metallic blue spray paint that has small flecks of metal in it that reflect light to add a subtle shimmer to our table. And it is even husband approved since it doesn’t leave any mess.

Side Table in Master Bedroom

And here are the pictures of the table newly painted and in our bedroom.

It is the perfect place to set the faux bronze vase I painted and upcycled for our bedroom.

Even though there is some sparkle and shine to the table, it matches our bedspread well and ties the elements of the room together.

That is why I love spray paint. It is such an easy way to add color and life into your decor.

I did try the side table in a different spot in the room and set these DIY branch flowers on it, but I think I really like it between the two chairs. It is nice to know that it is a versatile piece though.

I hope that this project has inspired you to try a spray paint upcycled furniture project of your own. It can transform a piece that is ugly into something fun.

Want to remember this project for later? Save it to your favorite DIY board on Pinterest.

Need a little more inspiration? Check out these posts from the other talented bloggers of the Thrifty Thursday Collaboration. There are a lot of great painting tips. Elizabeth from A Well Purposed Woman gives techniques on painting a mirror frame white, Junette from Windmill & Protea teaches the technique for painting an ombre basket, Martina from The Lived in Look shares a diy gold ombre lamp tutorial, Sara at the Inspired Decorator shows how to use wall paint on furniture.

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