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    Home » Furniture Makeover » Thrift Store Coffee Table Makeover

    Thrift Store Coffee Table Makeover

    Published by Gail | Published March 10, 2021 | Updated December 13, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    A thrift store coffee table makeover tutorial that will shock you! Get the perfect black paint finish without a paint sprayer. #MyRepurposedLife #repurposed #refurbished #thriftstore #coffeetable via @repurposedlife

    For my thrift store decor project, I'm sharing a thrift store coffee table makeover! This monster has seen better days, but it is really well constructed.

    Be sure to check out more awesome projects at the bottom of this post.

    Thrift Store Coffee Table Makeover Tutorial

    What you'll need:

    • Thrift Store Coffee Table
    • Sander & Sandpaper
    • TSP
    • Paint
    • Paintbrush
    • Foam Roller

    Mersman Coffee Table

    I'm not familiar with the Mersman brand, and have no idea how old the coffee table is.

    *this post contains affiliate links, read more here*

    Clean & Sand

    I used a heavy grit sandpaper in order to remove those deep scratches. After that, I went over the entire top with 220 grit. Finally, I cleaned the entire table with TSP Substitute.

    I suppose you could use some stripper, or totally sand the top if you wanted to stain it instead of painting it.

    Painting a Thrift Store Coffee Table

    I chose All In One Paint by Heirloom Traditions (Iron Gate) to give this coffee table it's makeover. This is quickly becoming my favorite color lately. Did you see my Sewing Cabinet Makeover? I started with the table upside down. However, I didn't paint the inside of the table top. I felt that would just be a waste of paint.

    After First Coat of Paint

    black coffee table after first coat of paint

    Raising the coffee table off the ground makes it so much easier to paint. This is after the first light coat. The legs definitely took the paint really well.

    With Two Coats of Paint

    black coffee table makeover after two coats of paint

    After finishing the second coat of paint, it's looking a lot better.

    So, I dragged the monster table into the house to take some pictures. After getting it in the living room, I can see that it still needs another coat of paint.

    Easy Thrift Store Coffee Table Makeover

    easy thrift store coffee table makeover MyRepurposedLife

    Well, I took my pictures anyway. With all the stuff on the table, the paint looks good, eh? Did I mention this table is huge? I measured it--54 inches long!

    All In One Paint & Small Foam Roller

    To do the final coat of paint, I decided to use the All In One Paint and a small foam roller. Full disclosure, I diluted the paint a little bit with water.

    I honestly never noticed that blemish in the table before now. The paint is not fully dry in this image.

    Grand Finale

    Can you believe I drug this thing BACK into the house to take this picture? I wanted to show you how much better it looks after that final coat that was rolled on. It really mimics the finish I get when I use my beloved Finish Max paint sprayer.

    So, the next time you see a beat up table on the curb, or at the thrift store, don't pass it up! Seriously, this thrift store coffee table would make a great bench. It's very well built and in good shape!

    Now, Let's take a look at the thrift store projects my friends worked on:

    My oh my! Look at all the possibilities here! 🙂

    Vintage Vanity Stool Makeover My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

    Concrete Planter Makeover Our Southern Home

    Seed Storage Box from a Wooden Recipe Card Holder Sadie Seasongoods

    Thrift Store Coffee Table Makeover My Repurposed Life

    T.V. Tray Makeover Domestically Speaking

    Inexpensive Kitchen Wall Decor Petticoat Junktion

    Repurposed Tobacco Basket Project House of Hawthornes

    What will inspire you?

    gail

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Christy Little

      March 21, 2021 at 9:40 am

      Such a great makeover! That coffee table really has a fabulous shape. I'm so impressed with the finish, It looks so smooth!

      Reply
    2. Pam

      March 14, 2021 at 7:21 pm

      You could almost sleep on that thing it's so huge! Love that shade of black. I'll have to pick some up for some porch projects I'm going to be painting this week!

      Reply
    3. Sarah Ramberg

      March 11, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Good grief, what happened to that poor table before you saved it?? Great job- I love finding solid pieces like that that just need some TLC!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        March 12, 2021 at 10:41 am

        hahaha

        The table was used and abused for sure! Most people would have passed it up-but I love a good challenge.

        gail

    4. Jennie

      March 10, 2021 at 5:57 pm

      Hi Gail, Mersman Co. Went through 8 possibly 9 name changes through their 125 years of existence. They closed permanently in 1995. This table is probably made between 1975 and when they closed. They tended to make a successful table design for years. I do love the paint technique makes such a smooth finish.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        March 10, 2021 at 7:21 pm

        Thanks for the info Jennie.

        I think that stamp might be the date, March 1976???

        gail

    5. Maryann

      March 10, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      Table turned out beautiful!

      Reply
    6. Kristin salazar

      March 10, 2021 at 1:45 pm

      This makeover turned out so great! That last coat with the foam roller makes it look like it was professionally sprayed! Wishing you a great rest of the week!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        March 10, 2021 at 7:22 pm

        Thank you Kristin!

        I'll be by to visit soon. Busy, busy work day with a beautiful sunny day at 70 degrees!!! I needed it!

        gail

    7. Carmen Montmarquet

      March 10, 2021 at 8:27 am

      You did a great job, love your table!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        March 10, 2021 at 7:24 pm

        Thank you! I love quick and easy thrift store projects.

        gail

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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