It is week four of the One Room Challenge, and I am excited to tell you guys about this week’s DIY project. If you’ve missed the prior weeks, you can check out my plan to makeover our apartment balcony here. This post I am going to talk through how to transform a worn out outdoor table that has been water damaged.
Refurbishing furniture that you already own instead of buying something new is not only a great way to get more use out of the piece, but it will really help you save money when transforming a space.
Benefits of reusing furniture you already own vs. buying something new
- Save money
- Reduce waste
- Customize a table to fit with your style
- Make something completely unique
- It’s fun!
The table before transformation…
We already owned a small table for our balcony that over the course of several years and a move has really gotten worn out. The wood on top was not properly weatherproofed so there was some water damage and discoloration. We also had a lantern sitting on top of it that in the South Carolina heat had melted on to the table a little leaving residue behind.
Overall, we were about ready to throw the table out but I decided to revamp it.
Here are the steps I took to transform our outdoor table
While every table may require some different steps, here is a general plan to transform a table if it is discolored, water damaged, or just looking a little out of date.
1. Clean the surface of the table
The first step is to clean the table so you can start with a fresh surface instead of piling paint onto a grimy surface. This table of ours had been sitting outdoors for a long time, so it was in need of a little cleaning. I just used soap and water to clean the table top and legs.
At this stage, it is also a good idea to remove any rotting pieces or chipping if applicable. As I mentioned, our table had some melted plastic on top so I also had to remove that during this first step using some Goo Gone. While there was still discoloration left behind, any of the melted plastic had come off.
After cleaning, be sure to let the table completely dry.
2. Use painter’s tape to cover the table top
I found it easiest to paint the legs of the table first, so before doing so I used painter’s tape to protect the table top. Apply tape to any surface you don’t want the paint you are going to use first.
3. Paint the table legs
After protecting the table top, you are now ready to get painting! To paint the legs of the table, I found spray paint to be the easiest option. Be sure to use spray paint outside because of the fumes and cover the surface underneath to protect it from getting paint on it.
Also, be sure to choose a spray paint made for the types of surface you have such as metal and that it is meant for outdoor use.
Paint one side and let dry completely – the spray paint bottle should give you an estimate of how long it will take to dry. Then, flip the table over and repeat the same steps. After letting the table dry again, check over the table to make sure you got all of the surfaces and didn’t miss any spots including the inside of the legs that will still be visible.
4. Paint the table top
Now that your legs are painted, remove the painter’s tape from the table top and get painting. Be sure to use paint that is made for outdoor use and for the surface you are applying it to such as wood.
You can paint the table top all one color or create a pattern. I decided to use three different colors on top to give it a mixed metallic eclectic look.
Paint one coat and set aside to dry. After drying, evaluate if it looks good or if another coat is needed. If applicable, add a second coat and let dry completely.
5. Weatherproof the table
Because the table had a lot of damage and discoloration originally from being outside, one of my main goals in this transformation was to prevent that from happening again. Use a weatherproofing spray like Miniwax to protect the table from sunlight, rain, humidity, temperature changes, etc.
Follow the directions on the bottle, in my instance I did one coat and let dry for 1.5 hours before doing a second and final coat.
Now you have a table that looks brand new!
Before and after table transformation
Stay tuned next week for my next DIY apartment balcony project!