Do you remember the door hall tree I made a few weeks ago? I actually bought two of the cheap $2 interior doors to use as extra workspace in between sawhorses. Oh man! I didn’t intend to use them for projects, or I would have bought more. I found the perfect purpose for the second door, a DIY entryway table.
DIY Entryway Table from a door
This is the wonderful design stage of my DIY entryway table project. I LOVE it when it all comes together so perfectly. We have a $2 door, a $5 dresser mirror and some random legs.
Add a mirror and a cabinet door
Add to those pieces a cabinet door for a table top! Voila! It’s almost done! 
I was seriously giddy that all the pieces were the perfect size. I suppose that is a benefit of hoarding having a lot of treasures.
The dresser mirror was secured directly to the door.
Old table legs
Clamps were used to hold the cabinet door in place. I did have to trim the legs, because they were table legs, they were cut on an angle. I had to give them just a slight trim to get a flat edge in order for the new table top to rest on it. The design stage of the diy entryway table is coming along!!
note the reflection in the mirror. This is when I noticed the dirty carport.
You can see in this photo that I made a little skirt using my Kreg Jig 
I added a cleat under the mirror for the back of the table top to rest on. Of course I used Gorilla Wood Glue and some screws.
Put it all together
I was testing the fit, and realized there needed to be something else. That mirror is awfully darn heavy, and the table just wasn’t sturdy enough. The reason being? That cheap hollow core door. It just wasn’t solid enough to get a good secure hold.
I added some more pocket holes with this Mini Kreg Jig Kit
Be patient – add braces
This was a short work day, and I was in a rush to get it more sturdy. I used pocket holes to add 2 small braces. Then I shoved it into the garage until the next day.
I hate when I have to put a project away that I’m still working on. But that’s the way it goes around here.
The diy entryway table will NOT get the best of me. After a decent night’s sleep, I was back at it the next morning. I sanded the roundness off of the leg on the inside and the back.
I ripped a 1x to match the size of the area and drilled some pocket holes. This lower shelf bracket was going to rest upon the leg much nicer now.
I drilled the pocket holes for 3/4” stock, but because I was securing it to the much larger table leg I used 2” screws instead of the standard 1 1/4”. Did you notice I also drilled pocket holes for the brace that connects to the back of the door? I used 2” screws there also.
Add a bottom shelf to the diy entryway table
Are you still with me? It’s taking me longer to tell you how I built the diy entryway table than it actually took TO build it.
I used some 1x’s for the bottom shelf, notching the front board with my jigsaw.
It is so difficult to photograph a mirrored project. I’m always such a mess, I’d scare you off it you saw my reflection in the mirror.
Are you loving it? I am! The DIY entryway table is very heavy and awkward, difficult to move!
Paint project with a Finish Max Paint Sprayer
It gets the standard DIY chalky paint primer with Behr semi-gloss (Beluga), sprayed on with my HomeRight Finish Max
This is a good shot of the cleat. After the extra holes, I still wasn’t happy with it, so I added 2 “L” brackets that came off an old crib. You do save all that hardware, right?
I always start painting my projects on the underneath side.
I did two coats of the chalky paint primer. This is after the first coat.
After the two coats of chalky primer, I noticed that I need to do a little more patching on the entryway table.
After the spackling set up, I sanded it and did one more quick coat of chalky primer.
This is after the first coat of Behr Semi-Gloss (Beluga). I have been using brown craft paper to sand between coats on the surface that I want to be really, really smooth.
How to move heavy awkward furniture
Here is the side view so you can see how petite she is.
One last coat of semi-gloss with the Finish Max. I wised up, and left it on 2 small dollies so I could easily move the diy entryway table around. You can see that the paint looks a little weird, but you’ll notice in the “after” shots, it dried wonderfully!
I never tape off glass or mirrors. I find that the paint easily scrapes off with a razor blade.
As a side note, I timed myself on this last coat. Well, I didn’t really time myself, but I was cooking some lunch, and I set the timer on my phone for 25 minutes and got to work.
I got out the tarp, the 2×2’s to hold it down, hauled out the entryway table, got out a new can of paint from my car (I go through it like crazy). Then I set up the Finish Max, loaded the paint, painted a coat over the entire piece (not the very bottom underneath the lower shelf) and cleaned the Finish Max with 9 minutes left on my timer. So, although you may think it’s quicker to paint by hand rather than get everything out and clean up, I totally disagree! With the 9 minutes left, I carefully pushed the piece into the garage to try to protect it from debris and the birds!
Black DIY entryway table using a dresser mirror
Surprise! I’m leaving this piece black. I would actually keep it if I had a need for it and a place to put it.
In the picture above (where I was painting) you might notice something funny going on with the paint. You can see here, that it turned out great after it dried. Those of you who have tried to take pictures of mirrors can identify with how difficult it is!
That line on the left of the mirror is some kind of scratch. I didn’t notice it until after I cleaned the mirror. 
The reflection in the mirror is just a stenciled rug being held up to prevent a unwanted reflection.
This is the best picture I could get of the diy entryway table without having an undesirable reflection in the mirror.
I really had to resist putting a topcoat of deep red like this coatrack, or blue like this hall tree on this project.
This DIY entryway table is narrow and would look great in any foyer for all those last minute things we need to grab before we run out the door.
Do you have tips for taking pictures of mirrored projects?
gail
sharing at Be Inpsired – hop over to see more great ideas.
Absolutely beautiful!!! Totally love this! Question… In one your comments you said you use brown craft paper to sand in between coats of paint… can you explain that? I mean brown craft paper to me is something like construction paper, so I don’t understand how you sand with it.
Sheila,
I use brown paper that I receive through the mail when I order packages. Companies use it in a roll…. so basically any brown paper that comes on a roll. You can get it at $$ Tree for a buck. 🙂
What I get is generally already wrinkled. I just sort of smooth it out slightly and rub it gently over the paint. If there is any Plaster of Paris or chalk paint raised up, it really knocks it down easily. Cheap and it works like very fine sandpaper.
I hope that helps.
gail
Now I’m gonna have go get me some brown paper and try it! Thank you!
BEAUTIFUL…….I love that you painted it black!
So loving this and glad you painted it black it looks so elegant that color. Now i want one but don’t have the entrance way to use it in, maybe my daughter-in-law will like it and can make one for them. Love you ideas and so glad I was suggested your Facebook page by one of my other Facebook sites.
Thank you Colleen for your sweet comment, and letting me know how your found My Repurposed Life! Welcome. I’m always here if you ever have any questions.
gail
It turned out beautiful! You never cease to inspire me Gail! I love that it came together so nicely for you, makes for a fun project! Of course I pinned it, I love it!
Love it, and I totally agree, taking a picture of a mirror is so hard! I have also completed a project and then noticed a scratch, a few times! You inspire me, I wish I had all your skills!
this looks great! i love how you did it, and the paint job, too.
Really, really beautiful, Gail! I love the black – it looks so elegant!