dustins diy
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Put anything in here!
Build This Coffee Table
Let us be your cheerleader: You can do this! Our friend Dustin, owner of Varsity Construction, will tell you how.
By Dustin Bates
A
some of the paint off the edges and random points around the table. (It’s important to remove the paint all the way down to the bare wood). At this point the table looked plenty weathered, but still way too bright. So, I decided to use an old trick that required a strong cut of coffee. (No, the coffee wasn’t for me). After it cooled, I simply took a brush and generously applied the coffee to the project. The more times you apply, the darker the exposed wood will be- come. It also dulls down the bright white. Once that dried, a couple simple coats of water-based polyurethane will seal everything. When it comes to the top of your project, you can get as creative as you like. Since mine was more of a summer theme, I decided to use grout (sand colored) as a base and placed in seashells from my parents’ travels. I then poured an epoxy resin over the top to make it durable and usable. Once the top was dry it was ready for summer — and so was I! Stay vintage!
s Christmas approached last winter, I realized I was running out of time to buy a gift for my parents. To make matters worse, I had no idea what to
get them. It was time to get creative — and in a hurry. As I sat there thinking, and wishing it wasn’t freezing outside, my mind kept racing forward to summer and being at my parents’ lake house. Then I remembered the awful coffee table that came with the house years ago when my parents purchased the place. And it finally hit me: It was time for an upgrade. I decided to build a basic table (dimensions shown) that would be sturdy enough for a lot of wear and tear. It was built out of simple clear white pine and 3 / 4 ” smooth plywood. After construction, I applied two coats of semi-gloss enamel white paint and let dry overnight. I could have left it alone, bright white, but I wanted more appeal and character. So I decided to give this table a weathered look. All I did was take 120-grit sandpaper and started removing
Dustin started Varsity Construction after graduat- ing college in 2005. He builds new construction and remodels homes. He also builds small furniture pieces in his spare time. He’s
finally moving to Kansas City (from Manhattan) this summer. Look for him in some exciting new ventures for VintageKC coming this summer!
VintageKC / Summer 2014 38
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