Young House Love

DIY Home Decorating Projects, Tutorials, & Shenanigans

| By | | 176 Comments

A Patio Coffee Table Hack (And Our New Sofa)

You know we love ourselves some furniture tweaking…

making-an-outdoor-coffee-table-blue-stain

But first, guess what arrived?! I’ll give you two hints: this and the photo below. Admittedly, both are very strong hints. Maybe I need to work on being more mysterious.

Despite Sherry’s promises to throw a ticker tape parade when our new outdoor sofa showed up, its arrival was unceremonious. Sherry was on a conference call. A big truck pulled up. I handed off the baby to Sherry and ran outside. A big box came out of said truck. Yada yada. Clara was out with Grammy, but when she arrived home she declared it “perfect!” and said “I love it!” and that was that, as you can see in the video below.

What you can also see in the video below is the last appearance of that old white coffee table, which has been a staple in all of our sunrooms to date.

The table is actually a big thrift-store tabletop that we screwed onto an Ikea Lack table, so it was a temporary solution that has long overstayed its welcome. Keeping it outdoors for nearly a year finally put the last nail in its coffin. So if you ever wondered how Lack tables respond to moisture…

We had been planning to replace it with another table that has been with us through three houses, but were just waiting for the sofa to arrive to get started. It’s the metal + glass thrift store table that anchored our first living room and enjoyed a brief stint outside at our last house.

The time that it spent on our old patio taught us two things – the metal is great outside, but the glass is not. We were constantly cleaning pollen / dust / watermarks off it, so it always looked foggy and dirty. So we decided to make a wood top that might be a bit more durable (and will hopefully hide a lot more dust/dew/etc). We kept the glass in case it ever comes back inside, but for now the metal frame is the only part coming out of storage.

At Lowe’s we found this $19 pre-cut panel that was the exact width (20″) and depth (3/4″) we needed, so we happily accepted the shortcut from having to cut a board to size (although this one did need a little trim on one end).

Our main concern was keeping the board from warping – either in moisture or under the weight of items on the table. If we used something thicker, the top wouldn’t sit flush with the metal frame – so I did my best to reinforce this panel with some x-bracing underneath.

I ripped a 1 x 3″board in half on my table saw (any thicker and it would have poked out below the metal frame) and cut it to length so that it would sit in the X-shape that you see above. To make them nest together in the center, I marked where they crossed and used my table saw – set very low – to notch out a groove on each board. They weren’t perfect, but it worked!

We loved the look of the raw wood against the metal, but in the room it just looked unfinished in combination with the new sofa. Since we knew we’d need to stain and seal it for protection against the elements, we decided to be a bit adventurous.

So yeah, we got blue. Specifically River’s Run Semi-Transparent Stain in Olympic Maximum, which is not only used for outdoor furniture, it can also be used on decks and fences.

Since going with a colored stain was new to us, we did some tests on the spare piece of tabletop that I had trimmed off. After applying some Minwax Prestain Wood Conditioner to the whole piece, we tested out what one coat of River’s Run would look like vs. two coats. And then for kicks, we brushed a quick coat of Dark Walnut stain on the end of each swatch to see if we liked the slightly warmer, more aged look of those two stains in combination.

We decided to go with the simplest option: just the one coat of River’s Run. Two coats felt a bit too intense (almost like it was painted, not stained) and the Dark Walnut overcoat was too brown against the metal table to the point that it sort of looked muddy/dirty when we held it up next to it.

With that decision made, we just followed the staining instructions after applying the same Minwax Prestain Wood Conditioner to the wood (remember when we learned how much of a difference that made back here). You basically just brush it on, and it looks crazy-blue and scares you (see below) but once you let it soak in and dry, it ends up being a nice subdued tone…

… like this:

Oh but after our single coat of stain was applied and had dried (on both sides) we did elect to brush on three coats of Safecoat Acrylacq as a sealer (to the top and bottom of the board). We really want this thing to hold up well outside, and when it rains really hard the table in here does get coated with a fine mist of water, so it felt like nice added insurance.

Going back to the sofa for a minute, we’re really happy with it so far. We love the slight color variation/striping in the wicker and the whole things feels very sturdy while still being comfortable. The cushions are nice and dense, so they don’t feel flat or too floppy (which hopefully bodes well for their durability). If anything, they feel like they need to be broken in a little, but we’re already hard at work on that task. Burger takes his job very seriously.

I was a little wary of how the blue tabletop would work out, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how well it works with everything out there. It brings out some of the blue undertones in the tile while still looking rustic enough to contrast with the metal base. And maybe it’s just the sky reflecting off of it, but even the woven part of the sofa seems to have a hint of blue going on.

It’s pretty exciting to finally have some real furniture out here. We pretty much live out back in the warmer weather, so having a nice shaded place to lounge is well overdue.

The rest of the sunroom is still looking pretty empty (which is why I opted to photograph these so tightly) but we’ve already set a plan in motion for filling things in and adding more function/seating. After all, if we ever plan to reclaim the sofa for ourselves we’ll need to give Burger another alternative.

Stuff We Love

Comments

    • Um yah and by everything I said you tell I’m obviously DRUNK at 10:30am.
      Just kidding.
      Maybe.
      No seriously what I meant to say was thought I assumed you’d just give the wood a dark walnut stain, but it’s awesome that you gave it some colour!
      Lol
      I need to go back to bed.
      MB
      http://www.hystericallyeverafter.com

  4. Love the way the couch looks. The table, though is the best thing about this area. I love that blue stain. I never knew there was such a thing and now I want to use it on something. Great job on the table, guys. This area is looking good.

    Reply

  5. I love the blue color poping up ! Do you think the show house details is influencing some of your purchases now a days? :) like that lovely blue color?

    Reply

  10. It looks like there is a small gap between the wood and the table edge. I’m surprised you didn’t buy wood and cut it down to get a tighter fit but good for you for trying a new stain color!

    Reply

  12. Love this! It’s beautiful, and we’ve had such great weather in the area, I wish I had a nice outside lounge area to work!

    Reply

  13. Love the light blue stain which does make it look so nice and custom for your things. Makes me want to stain something for our porch, too. I love having sturdy furniture on our deck and porch, especially when our six grandkids come over, all from our son’s family, five of whom are brothers! So, before Teddy grows into a rambunctious boy, getting sturdy furniture is a great idea! Enjoy!

    Reply

  14. Love the couch… but I love the table even more! I’m not a fan of glass table tops (I have two little boys… need I say more?). And have been passing up goodwill coffee tables because of the dreaded glass. Next time I find the size and shape I like… it’s coming home! What an awesome transformation you guys made with your table top… love the blue!… thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  15. You guys never cease to amaze me with your ideas. I wouldn’t have thought of a “blue stain” in a million years. That’s why I love coming back to your blog time and time again… so much DIY inspiration.

    Reply

  16. I love an outdoor porch in the summer. This is quite the upgrade. One caution: are those throw pillows meant for outdoors? I’ve had all sorts of pillows, cushions, chair covers etc. on my porch during the summer months, and until I went with outdoor fabric, all of them developed mildew and/or severe fading by the second season. I know your couch is good, but be careful about other soft goods even on a covered porch. The rain didn’t have to hit, only the high humidity.

    Reply

  17. Love the sofa and great table makeover. It’s fun to find all kinds of wood at the stores that will work with certain projects. I recently saw they sell neat round pieces to make things out of. And the stain is a great choice. Looks good!

    I love how Burger is in a different position in each shot too :-)

    Reply

  20. I can see the pic on Facebook, the table is beautiful. Sadly the images aren’t appearing for me on the blog. :(

    Reply

    • So sorry Deb! I think if you clear your browser’s cache/cookies/data and then refresh the page a few times they should pop right up for you.

      xo
      s

  21. Whoa! I think this ranks up there with my favorite “re-do / re-purpose” I’ve seen. I am loving the concept of replacing the glass with stained wood as well as the color. Looking great!

    Reply

  23. I like the blue tabletop, it is darker then I would have thought to do but it off sets the lighter blue accessories you have. I love that in most pictures there is either a kid or dog in the frame. I am the same way, and if they are not in the picture it is because I have banished them from the room temporarily to get my shot. Those little shadows of kids and dog follow you everywhere!

    Reply

  25. We reclaimed our back yard this weekend as well. We bought a house without a sunroom. I really wanted one but the house we fell in love with did not have it. We plan to eventually build an enclosed porch but for the next five (ten)-ish years, we have enough projects to keep us busy.

    Instead, we bought one of those lawn gazebos and mosquito net curtains. We inherited a lovely set of metal patio rocking chairs, couch and coffee table. We put a good coat of rustoleum protector on those, put up the gazebo and spent last night sitting out under the stars!

    Our downfall so far has been teaching our 50 pound lab puppy (she’ll always be a puppy to me…) that there’s a door and she can’t run through the mosquito net. I think i’m going to have to put something on the net so she can see it when it is closed.

    Reply

    • They sell nice decorative magnets for such a purpose. They attach to each other, one for the outside and one for the inside. I put them on eye-level for the dog and it really helps.

  26. very very clever!! Love the creative thinking on the table and it looks so great !! The whole spot looks very relaxing. here’s to a great summer!

    Reply

  27. The new couch is looking good and I love the blue tabletop. You’ve inspired me to do the same with the new set of unfinished Andirodack chairs I purchased recently (finally!!!). I was debating between painting and staining and I really like how the stain adds color while letting some of the grain shine through.

    Reply

  28. I love that Clara called it a sofa. Most kids her age would have called it a couch. Fancy girl! You have taught her well. :)

    Reply

  33. Love the blue stain! I had been toying around with the idea of a blue stained coffee table for my living room but then I painted the living room walls blue and it seems like it would just be too much. Back to the original plan of regular wood stain on a Lowes premade table top and hairpin legs. Knock-off mid century coffee table, here we come!

    Reply

  35. I seriously think you guys must get visited by magical design fairies while you sleep. Who thinks of blue stain? Absolutely genius. We threw out a metal frame just like that after the glass top broke, and I am now full of all kinds of remorse!

    Reply

  36. It looks fantastic. Your blog is so inspiring to me! So much so that I had a dream about you all the other night. I dreamed that you chose one fan to come and take a personal tour of your house and offered a lesson on what you all do. It was crazy.

    Reply

  37. Sa-weet. What a cool upgrade and neat way to reuse/reduce/recycle. Looks great! :) I’ve really enjoyed this room’s transformation.

    Reply

  38. Gorgeous outdoor space! Its nice to see that Clara approves as well – thanks for that little video. ;o)

    Especially loving the coffee table project. I am in dire need of getting rid of the lame green plastic outdoor coffee table I currently use to hold my morning mug o’ coffee, and this is great inspiration.

    Thanks for breaking down the steps for the DIY portion of the table. You guys make all of your projects give me that feeling that “Hey, I can do that too!”

    Reply

  40. Love the sofa and the table! I really like the blue stained table top…I always see those colored stains and think “who uses that?!” turns out you do! :) You guys do a great job thinking outside of the box!

    Reply

  43. Looking good. For your extra seating, may I recommend checking out these fine looking patio chairs and ottoman available at overstock. I saw these referenced (today) at honeyandfitz.com and think they could look awesome paired with your sofa. Safavieh Shenandoah Blue Wicker Chair and Ottoman Set.
    They are blue (and super cute)but also come in black and white. Anyway, just thought they would be fun to look at. Enjoy!

    Reply

  49. Oh my gosh I love the blue stain! Such a nice, colorful (yet subtle, really) difference. Great idea. Now to steal said idea and apply it somewhere around here…. :)

    Reply

  50. Love the new outdoor sofa, and the table looks great too! I love that you went bold and tried the blue…………..it looks fresh :)

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *