New Ideas For An Old Oak Coffee Table

Oak is a beautiful wood, very long lasting, and there are many ways an oak coffee table can be transformed.

The Traditional Look

Using trim, stain, and some gold paint, you can revamp a plain oak coffee table with a look that is both traditional and stylish.

First, sand the table down, and glue on a rim of carved molding. Stain the whole thing, and when the stain is totally dry, rub gold paint over the trim only. The idea is that the gold paint will remain only on the high points. All you need to do now is varnish it!

Make A Hassock

For a completely different use of an oak coffee table, turn it into a hassock by covering it and adding a cushion.

To do this, you'll need to make 4 panels, one for each side. After it has been hemmed, the panels need to be about 2 inches longer than the side of the table.

Hem the sides and bottoms of the panels. You can leave the top unhemmed. Tack the panels to the coffee table, overlapping the edges. Next, you'll cover a piece of foam that is the same size as the oak coffee table with fabric of your choice. Choose one to complement your room, perhaps in velvet or thai silk. They have a lovely texture, and can add a very opulent feel.

Once it's covered, tack it to the coffee table over the panels at the side.

Make A Game Table

Try painting one or several game boards onto the top of an oak coffee table. Options include a checker board, chess, or backgammon. You could build a draw into the base and use it to store the game pieces.

Renovate With A Different Finish

There are some great books out there that teach you how to simply transform old furniture, such as an oak coffee table. You could try decoupage, or applying a base coat such as a dark blue, letting it dry, then applying white on top. You would then sand lightly so that the blue base shows through. You could create an antique look, a gilded look, and anything in between. There is a world of different types of paint finishes available.