How much has your style changed over the past 10 or 20 years? What were your favorite colors back then? How about your favorite color wood? Are there still a few medium-toned browns lingering around from the last part of the 20th century?
Rather than discard those solid wood furniture pieces with the outdated color, consider giving them a 21st century makeover just as was done with this driftwood coffee table.
This coffee table belonged to my parents. It sat for many years in their living room and, as you can see, was well-loved by their thirteen grandchildren. You can see the tiny knicks and dents in the soft wood from soda glasses, coffee cups, toy trucks, train sets, Legos, and wooden chess boards.
Every mark represents a family memory.
My parents keep a beautiful and very clean home, but always made their grandchildren feel comfortable in their home. There are no formal living rooms or glass-top tables that they feared would break when the kids banged their toys down on top of them. Their furniture, while very nice, was durable and intended to be used.
For many years, the large, square size worked really well for our extra-large family. As the kids aged into teenagers though, my Mom decided she didn’t need a coffee table quite so large. She changed it out for a smaller, rectangle table and moved this one up into one of the spare bedrooms where it sat for many years.
That’s where I come in. It’s now time to pass this coffee table on to another large family that can get just as much use out of it and create their own marks.
As always, the first step was to sand it down completely with my DeWalt rotary sander. The electric sander removed the old polyurethane, brown stain, and the knicks and dents.
The tabletop was then washed in three coats of Rustoleum’s Driftwood stain. Always allow each coat of stain to dry completely overnight before adding the next coat.
The key to achieving the perfect driftwood finish is adding a bit of warmth and depth to the otherwise flat gray stain. To add this depth, mix a small amount of dark wax into clear wax and apply it to the tabletop.
To apply wax, dab just a tiny amount on with a brush and rub it into the wood in a circular motion. Round wax brushes work really well for this application. Then take a clean white cotton tshirt and rub off any excess wax in long, straight swipes (in the direction of the wood grain).
Allow the wax to dry overnight, then come back with a very soft brush and buff the wax to shine it up. This is like giving the tabletop a shoe shine. As a matter of fact, I use a shoe shine brush to buff the table and it works great because the bristles are really soft and won’t scratch into the wax.
The table had a few knots in the wood that still show thru the three coats of stain. The knots actually add to the authenticity of the driftwood appearance.
The table base was primed and then painted in a China White acrylic enamel. Between the driftood top that will accept the love of many grandchildren and the durable enamel base, this table is ready for it’s next family.
This square driftwood coffee table is now for sale in the Entri Ways’ Shop.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links to products I love and use myself.
This driftwood colour is gorgeous. Congratulations on receiving a family heirloom. Your Mom must be really happy you too so much pride in it.
Thank you. Yes, there are a lot memories in that table, but it is for sale for another family to enjoy.