Pallet Topped Coffee & Side Tables

A couple of years ago I picked up a coffee table at a garage sale after I eyed it up for potential.

I determined I could do a little something-something with it, and for $7.00 bucks it came home with me.

This is the 3rd makeover that the family room table has received, and you know what they say - 3rd time's a charm!



The first redo I painted it to have a faux zinc look in anticipation of a new gray couch I ordered. 

The couch didn't work out, and the second makeover took place giving the table a distressed old barn wood look.

First table transformation {HERE}

I liked how it turned out, but after our family room fireplace mantel recently received an overhaul, I decided the table also needed one more makeover.

Last Fall I topped an old table with pallet wood for daughter #1 and that's when I decided rustic pallets would be the next look for my coffee table.

See this table conversion {HERE}

Just like the table for #1 daughter, a pallet was dismantled and pieces were nailed on in a random pattern on the coffee table.

I had already painted the base as well as the side trim with the lighter metallic paint from Fusion Mineral Paint (links at the end of the post).

I stippled the silver paint on, and the side trim now has a galvanized metal look instead of the darker gray zinc color.

I ended up giving it two stippled on coats, which couldn't have been easier - I just dabbed my paint brush tip on it.

The base formally was painted a beige color and it's new coat is Fusion Mineral Paint in Champlain.  Champlain is a creamy, not bright white, just bright enough to give the table a cleaned up fresh look.  One of my favorite Fusion colors to work with.

I lightly distressed the table and rubbed a little Fusion Beeswax on the distressed areas.

I should mention that the pallet wood gets sanded with a belt sander to knock down anything that splinters, but not sanded enough to loose the interesting look of the different pieces of wood.  It's smooth to the touch, but still looks very rustic to the eye.

We set coffee cups, soda cans, Legos and anything else we feel like on these tables, so the pallet top received a coat of oil for a little protection and to bring out the different shades in the wood.

You can see where the oil has been applied on the left.  It dries lighter but still the wood grain is accented.

You never know what you will get for color on pallet wood, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the orange tones since my family room is accented with a rustic pumpkin color.

Next up was redoing the two side tables with the same look.

You can see that the before look of the side tables matched the before look of the coffee table. The pair of end tables belonged to my mom, and this is probably the 4th redo they have seen in our family room.  They started out just your basic light wood colored table.

Made by Lane, these tables are nice and heavy.  Since I have them it seems a shame not to use them.

Our weather was nice for topping the side tables outside, but not without shoes on, so I ventured quickly from the porch and got a rustic shot of the pallets before any sanding.

I couldn't help but notice how the pallets match the winter gravel that the tires track in and the tar of the driveway, almost blending right in on the photo.

All three tables are now topped with wood, and I'm not missing the paint at all.

I would like a shelf added on the bottom of both the side tables, but I forgot to mention that while they were outside.  Guess that will go on the list of things to do "sometime".

The silver trim looks enough like metal in person to fool the eye, and it unifies the two side tables to the unmatched coffee table.

The tables were free to me - thanks mom - with pallets that we salvaged, and updated with paint I already had, for a very cost effective update. 

Click the links below to check out all the paint and products that Fusion offers.  I am particularly fond of the metallic, the copper being a favorite of mine, but the brushed steel follows pretty closely.

Fusion Mineral Paint Metallics

Classic Collection Fusion Mineral Paint

Up next time at the ranch.... 

A new fireplace mantel with Fusion Mineral Paint, 

"Picket Fence" from the Michael Penney collection.