{re}new playroom table

I really love the look of the chalkboard tables, walls, signs, etc. for things around your home. There are endless possibilities when you have a can of chalkboard paint in your hand.

The little tables with chalkboard tops for kids rooms/playrooms are just adorable! However, from most people I've talked to, having a chalkboard in an area that is highly trafficked by kids is not the most clean - or practical - thing to do.
Since I wanted the look of a chalkboard table {LOVE the stark contrast of a black tabletop with colored legs!}, the obvious thing to do was to find a table and just paint the top with regular ol' black paint. More on that later...

So cute, right? This photo was my inspiration!

I wanted a little table for our playroom that little man could easily access and grow with. The natural solution (and most cost effective) was to hit up some garage sales for an old but sturdy wooden coffee table, like the ones you see above. It just so happened that our neighborhood garage sale was coming up so I KNEW I would be able to find something. I realized I had found the right one when talking to the homeowner, she told me the table used to belong to her grandmother. She has all these memories as a little girl playing on it, under it, eating on it, coloring and drawing on it, etc. This was exactly what I needed a table for, and her stories told me everything I needed to know about this tried and true piece of furniture. It was truly the one! For good measure, I had little man "try it out" and we decided it was the perfect match.

$20 later (and her hubby even carried it to my car and loaded it up for me) I was at home with my next project before my eyes. It was in good shape except for one leg that was janky (my made up term for "real messed up") because of a stripped screw & socket. One trip to Lowe's and we had that under control. I was so proud of myself for fixing it up and it was as good as new!

I'm terrible at capturing "before" images because I get so stinking excited to get started I just tear into it. So, here's a shot of the legs after they had been removed from the tabletop, sanded/scuffed up, and were ready for primer & paint. Just try to imagine my entire table in worn out wood stain.

When I refinished my mom's old wooden rocking chair I discovered one of the best tools of the trade. Whenever you are sanding down wooden furniture that has been stained and has little grooves & crevices that are hard to get into {ain't nobody got time for that}, this stuff is a GREAT cover. Not only is it a primer but it's also a bonding agent that will stick to any remaining stain or lacquer and cover it right up for you. I have used this on three pieces of furniture now and I swear by it for any wooden furniture makeovers.

To properly paint & prime the legs I just stuck them in the bottom of a box by the screws. I did this so they wouldn't be laying on one side and I could coat them all over, all at once. No sticking, no waiting between coats to turn them over. Here they are after the primer.

 I actually finagled my hubby into helping me sand down the tabletop - NDB. He was bored, anyway.

Here we are sanding down the top and the little wooden "handles" that go on the ends of the table. I decided to keep them because they added to the vintage character of the table, but I could also see them keeping crayons from rolling off the edges. Plus if I chunked them I'd have a few big holes in the table to fill.

Here's the table after being primed...

 bottom

 top

Because I painted the top black, I wanted a colorful contrast on the legs so I decided to paint them BRIGHT AQUA for a nice pop of color. I know, I know. You're thinking, "What? Ragan using bright aqua? No way..." Whatev. When you love something, use it everywhere, am I right? I absolutely LOVE the way they turned out. Here they are after getting just a few final touchups, looking a little more blue than the actual aqua in person.

By the way, about the only spray paint I use anymore is Valspar's spray paint from Lowe's. They have quite a selection of colors to choose from (meaning more than just one shade of each color) and I've always been super happy with the coverage; most of them are paint + primer in one so it takes less to get the job done. It doesn't even smell that bad! Recently they redesigned the tops of the cans and they're pretty ergonomic AND will spray from any direction - even upside down. They're not paying me to say all this, I just love it!

Alright, enough with the chatter. Here's my finished product! What do you think?? It will look maaaaa-velous in our new little playroom (way better than in our dusty garage, waiting to move)!

That's all for today! My next big project is to refinish a TV armoire that I'm turning into storage for my new studio. I hope to work on that this weekend, and share with you next week! 

Happy day!