You know we love ourselves some furniture tweaking…
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. This is also 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.
Rebecca says
Love that painted table top. It looks fantastic and pricey! Enjoy that outdoor space!
Teresa says
Love the new sofa! We bought a Lloyd Flanders wicker sofa and chair when we built a screen porch four years ago. At first, I second guessed myself whether we should have paid so much for outdoor furniture but after four years the furniture and fabric have held up beautifully and still look new.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds really nice!
xo
s
Eileen says
What a fantastic idea. Our patio dining table has a glass top and we are always cleaning it. The blue stain rocks.
Kate says
Hi! I love your sunrooms and the fact that you use them frequently. This is a little off topic, but I wondered if you do anything to avoid bugs, particularly mosquitoes. I live in Northern VA and we have tons in the evenings. I hate being outside because of them, but would like to be out more often. I know you’re more environmentally/health conscious than many, so I wondered if you’ve found this to be an issue in your spaces and how you’ve handled it. Thanks! And beautiful job on the tabletop. It looks great.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kate! Our secret weapon are those two ceiling fans. We put them on high and mosquitoes hate flying through currents (bees too!) so it keeps that area free of them for the most part. We’re back there a ton and we have yet to break out the bug spray! I have heard of others using table fans or even those big industrial floor fans to the same effect. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Michelle says
I LOVE the new sofa!!! The table looks great also! I am loving all the blue!!! Do you like the brown legs of the table with everything else? I am totally not meaning to be snarky, but wondering if it blends well with everything else since we can’t really see the big picture. I think that it would look nice with charcoal legs :)
YoungHouseLove says
It’s hard to see in some of the photos, but the tile is a mix of blue-gray with these large brown areas on them (which tie into the brown deck) – so I think in person the metal legs tie into that :)
xo
s
kimi says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the blue stain!!!;) Will need to use it on something sometime soon!! Great job and love the new sofa also!!!
Claire says
Looks awesome guys! Your mention of using a sealer reminded me to ask if we could please have an update in how your concrete kitchen counters are performing? I would love a rundown now that it’s been a few months. For better or worse!
YoungHouseLove says
Still doing good! We’ll have to post an update with photos and everything soon!
xo
s
Ginger says
It seems like every time you decorate a room lately, it’s a neutral palate and then the pops of color are the same as you blog headers…..
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! We do love those colors, and it certainly helps to have a whole house palette (so pillows/accessories can be switched out from room to room). Although Teddy’s recently finished nursery is full of wood and white tones with bright pops of emerald green, so we still like to mix things up depending on the space.
xo
s
Megan says
Looks great and a nice place to relax. I love what you did with the table too. :)
Ana Silva says
So much better, glad to see that little white table go. Can’t wait to see it all complete.
Debi says
Table looks great! I love reading your blog. I humbly recommend you consider one more hardwood support under the table on each end to further discourage warping. The only reason I’m recommending this is because I recently picked up a wood table top at the curbside and it was warped. I think mine can be repaired (un-warped) by strengthening the ends (against the grain) underneath.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Debi!
xo
s
Kim Salloum says
That looks wonderful! The accent blue color is vivid, but tranquil at the same time. Excellent choice! I love what you’ve done so far.
Kim
http://www.screwdriversandmimosas.com
Kate says
The table looks like it has really rusted, compared to the first photo of it in your living room. Any plans to paint it?
YoungHouseLove says
I think that’s just the lighting indoors vs. outdoors (that oil rubbed bronze finish tends to look more black in the house and more brown/chocolate outside) but we can always spray paint it if the mood strikes. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Katie says
Hi John and Sherry!
I have a question for you – how do you determine when to paint something with a brush/roller and when to spray paint it?
I just bought 2 nightstands that I want to paint and am trying to figure out which would be better.
Thanks so much!!
Katie
YoungHouseLove says
For furniture I’d use a brush or a small foam roller over spray paint which can leave drips :)
xo
s
Hannah C says
LOVE that blue stain! Now to convince my husband… ;-)
Isabel says
Wow, just love the stained table top! Good idea to go with the one coat – I think it works as a good middle ground to complement both the subtle grey-blue of the tiles and the richer blues of the pillows and barrel-shaped side table (at least, I think that’s what that is!)
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
I LOVE IT!!! Both the table & the sofa I love!!! You guys are inspiring me to stain or paint maybe two pieces we use outside that really need new life in them. Two carts we use and they have seen their better days at this point. I think some sanding & staining are in their future. Plus then those two pieces would match. ;) Now to just pick a color we like that isn’t too bold but will go with our light gray house. hmmmmmm…got me thinking now. ;)
Tara says
Glad you guys decided to go with color for the table top. As I’m scrolling and read that you were replacing the glass with wood, I instantly thought, “I hope they don’t go with a standard wood stain. I want to see color!” And low and behold, you came through! Haha. Great job! I love it. The patio looks so fresh and perfectly ready for summer.
Kimberly says
We used river run to stain our deck! We were terrified we had made a huge mistake the first day; it was a bright blue beacon in the backyard. It has settled down and is such a fun element in our home.
YoungHouseLove says
So awesome!
xo
s
Joana_JW says
I really like the light blue color in use. Especially it goes with the setting and gels beautifully. Thanks for sharing inspiration, this is unique!
Leo Tyler Pimlico says
Oh, you did amazing job. You changed the look of the table and it appears so different. The blue paint that you choose fits perfect the colours of the couch. Actually I like the table more now that before with the glass.
Christin says
Love the blue stained table!! Well done.
Katie says
I absolutely love this stain. I will have to remember this when we finish building our house-such a relaxing outdoor space!
Joy says
Love it all!