One of the things I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to do is to mimic designer looks. I especially love it when its a cheap, easy DIY. I mean what’s not to love right. Well, today I’m gonna show you how I took $30 and turned into a $300 designer coffee table. Watch how I get a $300 look from a Dollar Store Coffee Table.
I know you are gonna love this project! Seriously this is a 1-2 hour project and the majority of that is drying time.
So let’s get into how I turned $30 into a $300 designer coffee table look-a-like. Oh, and you won’t believe how I finished off the table.
$300 Look from a Dollar Store Coffee Table
Turn $30 bucks into a $300 Designer Coffee Table
Like I said, I love a good easy DIY. I love it, even more, when it’s a Dollar Store Design. That’s right I found almost all of the elements of my $30 into a $300 designer coffee table at the dollar store.
BTW High/Low was one of my favorite shows on HGTV back in the day.
Anyway, I don’t know if I’ve posted this before but I’m in the middle of helping my son decorate his newish apartment. And because I’m a bargain hunter by nature (check the name of the blog), and I’m always finding random bargains. Which is why I’ve been going back and forth between rooms. Right now I’m working on his living room area.
The Coffee Table Search & Inspiration
Lately, I’ve been trying to find him a coffee table. It needed to be a space saver, preferably have some storage and of course, be budget-friendly cheap.
I found a few options that could work like this one at Target.
Since I’m trying to focus on dual-function and/or find pieces that have hidden storage, I thought the Target table was a good option. But I wasn’t in love with the over $300 price tag.
Then I saw this table at Ikea.
The Ikea Kvitbro table was another great option. Especially because it offered storage I was looking for.
To be honest, at only $60 I really thought I was gonna go with this table. And since it was about half the price of the Target option I was this close to adding it to my cart. But then this happened …
A Coffee Table Here?
While strolling through my local 99 Cents Store (yep, that’s what I said), I noticed these Wire Storage Side Tables.
WHAT!
I know rite! These tables were perfect. After nearly pulling my back out to separate them, I grabbed three and knew they would make the perfect coffee table for my son.
The cool thing is they came with a wooden-like top that actually had a wood grain look. Which, by the way, could work as-is. But you know I couldn’t do that though. LOL
Designer Transformation Time
So since I was barely scratching any budget with the three tables at $9.99 each, I knew I could play around with a few more dollars to make the tables something special.
The next day, I picked up this wood stain from Micheal’s. Because I wanted to keep this project as easy as possible, I thought this stain that dries in 1 hour would fit the bill. Plus it came in a small project friendly tube.
The stain comes in some really nice shades, which made it hard for me to choose. Eventually, I settled on Traditional Cherry. I thought the color would really look against this rug we recently purchased for the space.
I thought the cherry color would play off the orange in the rug. Turns out the stain was a really good choice.
The directions say to apply it with a rag, but I opted to use a foam craft paintbrush which worked just fine. Using the foam brush, I brushed on a thin layer of the stain on each tabletop and edges.
Check out what a difference staining the top made. I actually only needed one coat to get this gorgeous result.
I played with the idea of applying a glossy clear coat, but decided to leave it in its natural state (for now).
Umm, scratch that!
I thought about my son and then applied two coats of Cover 2X, Gloss Clear which in the end actually gave the tops a more finished look.
Keep Designing –
Almost Done!
The tables seemed a little unstable to me (well they are from the dollar store after all). So I wanted to figure out how I could make them a little more weighted. But since the tables are wire and you could see whatever is inside I wanted it to look nice.
You will never believe what I came up with!
ROCKS? Yep! Rocks.
Well, actually pebbles. I picked up this bag of Ash River Rock Pebbles at my local Home Depot.
Now, to be honest, the dollar store also had rocks, but they are small and would easily fall through the wire of the tables. But these landscape worthy 4-5″ pebbles are big! No way will they fall through the cracks.
I picked quite a few of the biggest ones for each of the tables and gave them a quick wash down with the hose.
AND DONE!
Look how this coffee table project came out! I’m in love!
The best part is it was only $30!!!! Well, a guess a little more for the stain and the rocks, but all in this project was well under $50. And who can say they have rocks in their coffee table?
Final Touch for My Dollar Store Coffee Table
I like projects that have a personal touch. So I decided to include a metallic pen in one of the tables. That way my son or granddaughter could write on the pebbles a favorite quote if they are inspired.
UPDATE: Check out the tables in the space!
So what do you think about my Dollar Store Design Coffee Table? Have you ever stop to notice some of the decorative pieces in any of the dollar stores? Please leave me a comment and let me know if this post has inspired you to run down to the dollar store to see what they have.
These are seriously cute tables! And CHEAP! I love a good DIY that doesn’t look DIY!
I know rite! I almost wanted to keep these tables for myself. Thanks so much Kenyatta!