Using Pallets: 70's Coffee Table Redo

Thrift shops, yard sales and flea markets! OH MY!  

Don't cha love a bargain? I picked up this huge coffee table that was soooo 70's with a plan.  (It's actually a 1968 dated piece, but we saw this style hang around in the 70's)

I loved the carved look in the front. 

(It's a plastic formed front... ugh) 

My plan was, this big guy is going to be rustic and southwestern. 

After cleaning and sanding a bit, I painted the table with turquoise. (love that color)

Then I sanded to give it the distressed look... not too much. 

Just here and there to allow the darker base to show through. 

Then I worked on the pallet wood. Full of nails and staples, I removed them and not too carefully because the marks would be the look I was going for. 

Some of the cracks looked perfect. 

I cut the wood for a 1.5" overhang around the table. 

Then measured and centered the boards to attach them from underneath with wood screws. 

Lots of screws to keep the top from warping. 

Then I sanded and painted a distressed look... 

(I'm joking!)  
I sanded the boards,  then filled in the cracks, staple and nail holes with wood filler mixed with a bit of dark stain and onyx stain. 

With two large knot holes, I had to use dowels (cut at angles) to fill them along with some of my wood filler mix. 

After the wood filler dried, I sanded the entire surface. 

This technique was giving the wood an aged and distressed look before staining. 

It was ready for staining. 

After the stain dried, I applied polyurethane. 

Look at how it turned out! Perfectly rustic! 

I swapped out the floral knob on the fake drawer for this hammered wrought iron look. 

Then I added black nail tacks to accent the piece on the top and around the base in various places. 

Who knew this was so 70's now? 

It looks like it has been rustic and southwestern all of its life. 

This table is large. Two feet by five feet on the table top. 

I'm so pleased it worked out the way I planned it.

So is the person who ended up with it!  I have been asked to make an entertainment center to match this.  I can't wait! It's going to be fun! 

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1001 Pallets

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Debra @ MsMoozy's Open House

Kristina at My Own Home

Emily at Table & Hearth

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