HOW TO SAVE A CURB-SHOPPED CONSOLE TABLE WITH PAINT, BALM AND WOOD SCRAPS | YOUTUBE VIDEO
Hello, creative friends! Today I’m sharing a salvaged console table I found curbside while walking my Gidgy girl. I had mixed feelings about picking this one up. It was filthy, the bottom drawers were in terrible shape, yet something told me to go home, hop in my FUV and pick it up. I can’t wait to share what I did with this one!
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Here’s the console table curbside.
When I brought it home, I inspected this piece and noticed that both bottom wicker drawers were broken and ‘unsaveable’. The four top drawers were dirty as heck, but in good shape.
This table must be from Wayfair, Pottery Barn or something like that because it’s not an expensive/fine wood and there were stickers A,B,C for joining it all together. With the bottom drawers MIA, it felt wobbly and unsteady but a great frame to start DIY’ing.
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Console Table w Wicker – SALVAGED
White Lightning Cleaner
Sanding Sponge
Umber Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint
Big Mammas Butta Salve
Paint Brush
Decorative Drawer Liners
Bosch 3″ Circular Saw
CONSOLE TABLE MAKEOVER
I went a little out of my comfort zone with this one by building a DIY wood shelf for the bottom. If you’ve been with me for years, you know I LOVE testing new products, new paint techniques, or in this case, my wood cutting skills – or lack thereof 😉 on curb-shopped pieces. It gives me so much more freedom and less anxiety to know that if I muck it up, no worries!
Here’s how this table all came together…
CLEAN & SCUFF SAND
I started by giving this table and all the drawers a cleaning with a heavy-duty furniture cleaner. The drawers were so gross I wanted to bring them out and hose them down, but the bottom of these wicker drawers is made of fiberboard so they would have bubbled and warped. Hand cleaning was the way to go.
After everything was clean, I scuff-sanded the body of this table with a 180 sanding sponge. I had a FB follower recently ask me why I clean before I sand. The answer is I don’t want to sand all the grease, grime, dirt, dust and whatever else into the piece of furniture. Plus, I don’t like working with dirty pieces. A good cleaning is always numero-uno.
ADDING A DIY SHELF
Below is a pic of what the bottom drawers looked like. The wicker was all unravelled on the side, and the bottoms had huge holes in them. I decided to throw them away and add a shelf on the bottom.
I had this scrap piece of wood from another makeover and it was almost the perfect size.
I measured the width and length.
Then I brought out my small Bosch 3″ Blade Circular Saw. This is one of my very favorite tools. I find large circular saws intimidating. This saw fits in my hand comfortably, is battery operated so I don’t have to worry about a cord and it gets the job done. If you’re interested in checking it out, I bought mine on Amazon here. Battery and charger are sold separately… I sound like a commercial. 😉 I’m sharing how awesome this tool is on the Youtube video below.
This issue I found challenging was cutting out the notch so the shelf would fit fit nicely on the existing rails. I ended up using a small chisel because I didn’t have the right size. It worked but it didn’t turn out as perfectly as I would have liked. Great practice though!
PAINTING
Once the shelf was installed and scuff-sanded, it was time to pick a paint color. I wanted to keep the natural finish on the wicker drawers (and I’ll share how I freshened them up in a minute!) so my colors choices were between Anchor Black and Burnt Umber. I went with the Umber SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint and I’m soooo happy I did! It’s one of my new favorites because it can be used as a stain, a wash, or the base for a DIY faux wood paint technique.
I painted ONE coat on this entire table leaving a little of the original wood color peeping through. This really helped to tie in the wicker drawers and keep it looking new, yet all cohesive.
HOW TO NOURISH WICKER
To make these dried-out wicker drawers look fresh and new again, I used this Big Mama’s Butta Furniture Balm. It’s super easy to use. I like putting a little on a paper plate and using a big brush to rub it onto the surface. The excess can be wiped off with a shop towel. It works on wicker, leather, wood, drawers, chalk paints, mineral paint, and it smells great… although I used the uncented for this project.
FINAL DETAILS – DRAWER LINERS
For the final details, I cut this beautiful dark floral decoupage paper to size and lined the bottom of the four drawers. This paper works well because it has some weight and feels more like a fabric than a paper.
PIN AND SHARE 🤗
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This makes me so happy!! I love how it came out!
Thank you Tiffany!☺️
Great job!!! I m happy to see your use of the amber mineral paint and 3” circle saw. I’m going to try both.
If you have ever tried to add molding to the top of a china cabinet please let me know. I have a roadside treasure I d like to refresh but it needs a side piece, and I’ve never mitered molding before.
Thanks
I’ve never tried mitering molding before either – but I’d LIKE to! Thanks so much Tanya and if you give the Umber a try, and the saw, I think you’ll love them. Keep me posted! 🤗
I love watching your videos and seeing the transformation on some of these pieces. I have a question about the shelf liner you used here. The link takes me to an amazon page with lots of different shelf liners. I’m hesitant to use an adhesive liner (contact paper). What do you suggest? If it’s self-adhesive, how easy is it to remove in the future? I’ve tried to rehab some old furniture where someone put contact paper on it from many years ago and it’s a lot of work to get it out.
A heat gun removes adhesive drawer liners really nicely! You bring up a really good point tho. I don’t like adhering drawer liners (especially when selling) because some people don’t like them and/or they don’t like the pattern or design. It’s nice if they are removable and you can use almost anything to line drawers. Fabric, decoupage paper, rice paper, wallpaper, heavy gift wrap – I’ve used them all. 😀
Whoa, what a fantastic restoration with a rich color. Funny story: Was recently in a thrift shop & saw those exact same drawers, examined them, saw they were in great shape, wondered what they were from, couldn’t use them for anything, put them back. Now I know, LOL.
That’s too funny Tracy!… I could have used those 2 bottom drawers!😂 I wonder if this is Wayfair, PotteryBarn or something along those lines because it’s def mass manufactured. Those types of tables (or pieces of them) often end up in thrift stores. 😉
WOW!!! That transformation is amazing. It was a hidden gem that just needed a creative genius. You!
I love the open shelf so much more than 2 levels of wicker baskets. It’s beautiful. I can see why it would be a keeper.
Thanks Joanne and YES, even if those bottom drawers were in good shape, I still like the open shelf better too! Have a great weekend. XOXO
Awesome awesome AWESOME!!! Definitely a keeper, Denise! You did it AGAIN — creative inspiration just oozes out of your pores! Thanks for all you give to those of us who are so so blessed to follow in your footsteps! 🫶🏼😉
Awww, thank you Suzy, that’s super sweet of you to say!🥰 Im honored to play a small part in your creative journey – thank YOUUU! And as a side note, I might not be keeping it because my sister texted this morning and now SHE want this table!😆
YOU GO GIRL, the shelf looks fabulous. The transformation on this curbside find is high-end perfection. As always beautiful makeover and gorgeous styling!
Hi Marie!!!😃 I’m always so excited to see you when you drop in! Thanks so much, I’m glad you like it. I have to admit I’m proud of myself for giving a diy shelf a try. The smaller circular saw makes it soooo much more comfortable so I hope I find something else to ‘practice’ on in the near future. HUGS my friend! Have a great week. XOXO
You have a knack for making me like pieces I don’t instinctively like. This piece feels warm, simple, a bit masculine and Mission-ish. I imagine it paired with a lamp that has an amber mica shade (although I adore your face-vase with philodendron hair).
Thats so funny because as I was styling it, I originally had it styled with a brass hinge desk lamp! I agree that a lamp with the amber mica shade would have looked soooo good!!! Glad you like it Cyndel, thank you!
EXCELLENT JOB!!! VERY UNIQUE AND CASUAL CLASSY!!!
“Casual-Classy”…. I LOVE it Susan! I wish I had thought of this and used it in the post!😆 thanks so much!
WOW, WOW, WOW! This doesn’t look like the same table! The open shelf and paint finish give it a modern warm look and I love your styling too. Thanks for sharing your talent and creativity and I look forward to the video!
Thanks so much Nicki, I’m so glad you like it! And yes, I’ll have the full video tutorial up this Saturday for you!🤗
Wow! Your curbside find was a high end piece in disguise. Only you could bring it to fruition. I really love this one, Denise. I can’t resist an open shelf. Great job with your woodworking skills. ❤️👊🏻 Thanks for sharing. Pinned! 🤗
Aw, thank you!🥰 I’m not as comfortable with my woodworking skills as you are with yours but I’d like to learn. Baby steps, right?! I’m loving the open shelf as well. Thanks for the PIN and have a super duper week my friend. Hugs XOXO
Denise!! This looks absolutely freaking amazing! I surely would have passed that up, but you made it beautiful again! I should never doubt you lol. XOXO.
I know YOU would have done something spectacular with it Christy… I have NO doubt! But thanks so much. So happy you like it… big compliment!💙💙💙 Have a fabulous week! XOXO
Hi Denise. Wow. What an amazing transformation. You really changed the look of this piece. I’m absolutely in love! This should be MINE;)
I love a good WOW so thank Monique, so happy you love it! I had a lot of fun working on this one – minus the cleaning.😂
Amazing, you bowl mw over with your designs. I really though this was a non-starter, but you did your ‘thing’ and wow, beautiful. xx
Thanks so much Janette!💙 I really enjoyed bringing this one ‘back to life’!😉
Can’t believe this is the same piece! You worked magic on this one. I love it! Impressive.
YAY, thank you Jewels!💕 I’m so happy I tried something different with the bottom shelf and this piece will be used for a few more years rather than in our landfill.🙌
Great save, it has a warm look now. I also like the way that you styled this piece.
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia and thank you so much!🤗 I woke up this morning and took a ‘fresh’ look at it… I might want to keep this one!😃😆 Have a great week! XOXO