Coffee Table Redo & Antique Mirror Tray Vignette

I've been using an old trunk in my living room for a coffee table.  It worked... but seemed to tall and bulky.  But I just hadn't found the perfect replacement so I left it. Turns out, the perfect replacement has been sitting in my garage for over a year!  My sister had given me a coffee table that HER sister-in-law gave her and it was no longer needed (the sister-in-law had moved to Hawaii, pshhh, and sister moved across town).  I love inheriting unwanted furniture!

I started out by painting the top with my DIY chalk paint - using a charcoal black/brown color.  Never know the names of my paint colors because I always buy mistints or make mix my own colors using mistints!

I painted the bottom with a slightly-off white (also DIY chalk paint) and then took my palm sander to the edges to distress it.  Distressing is the best thing since sliced bread.  Not just because it's the "in" look, but THANKFULLY it's the "in" look so that if someone scratches the leg of your newly painted table, chances are it will blend right in.  However, I must say that with my chalk paint recipe, I could hardly get the paint to sand off it dried so hard, let alone scratch it accidentally!

Then I used Mod Podge to seal it.  Yes I know, seems a little strange.  But after using it to seal my hand painted signs, I decided "why not on furniture too?"

Now if you've never used Mod Podge (decoupage) before, it might give you a heart attack when you put it on.  Relax.  The white WILL disappear and it will leave you with a clear coat.  This is the first time, however, that I was questioning if I should have used it or not.  The top of my table got a little wet and the dried Mod Podge turned white and then I did panic a little.  But once it dried, I wiped it down and it returned to normal.  The only downside with using it on this dark top was little dried flecks that fell into the container when I took the lid off got "painted" on and if I didn't get them picked out with my fingernails, they dried on as little white specks.  Not a big deal, but a perfectionist might have a problem with it!  It also goes on thick, so brush strokes seem to be inevitable.

I actually have been using this coffee table for a couple of months now but my staging abilities are not the greatest so I was waiting for my mom to come visit and help me in the staging department.  She must have changed this arrangement seventy eight times as you'll see a few pictures down....

Yes, my furball loves curling up on the rug under the coffee table. :)

And I think she's just adorable.  And now you can see that I didn't paint the underside! :)

Okay then mom gets the brilliant idea of using an antique mirror that I had picked up somewhere for a tray and rearranged the coffee table so I had to take new pictures!  :)  But I'm LOVING the final look - final only because she didn't have time to change it again before she left for Iowa.  Haha!

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