When we moved into our new house, I had a coffee table that didn’t work in the living room in which I put all the furniture that matched it. I didn’t really know what to do with it, so I put it in storage hoping I could eventually find it a home in another part of the house.
Meanwhile, I needed an entryway table, but I couldn’t find anything that was big enough for the space and worked well with the furniture in the living room adjacent to it. I kept wishing I could find an entryway table that looked that my coffee table.
I wish I could tell you at this point I dreamed up the idea of a repurposed coffee table by cutting it into two pieces and repurposing it into the entryway table you see here. The truth is, the coffee table started to split while in storage, and in my desperation of not wanting to get rid of it, I got the idea to try this!
Also, I wish I could take credit for actually putting it all together, but that credit goes to my handyman husband!
This was done before my blogging days, so unfortunately I don’t have pictures of how everything was put together, but I will do my best to describe it. As always, if it’s not clear to you, please feel free to ask questions by commenting on this post!
Also, I don’t have a good “before” picture of the table. The picture below was the best one I could find- it was during a birthday party and the table is covered with gifts!
Materials you will need are: a coffee table, two 3/4″ by 3 1/2″ boards to use as legs, 2-4 small blocks of wood, wood screws, paint or wood stain and wood varnish.
Measure and cut the coffee table into two pieces that measure 1/3 and 2/3 the entire length before cutting. (I was lucky my coffee table decided to split almost perfectly to those measurements.) Stack the coffee table with the smaller piece on top of the larger piece. Measure from the floor to the top of the upper piece and cut the two wood boards accordingly for the back legs.
Paint or stain and varnish the wood boards and let dry completely. Attach to the back of the two tables using the wood screws and the wood blocks as needed to stabilize the legs. We only had to use the wood blocks on the top piece, but again, all coffee tables are not created equally so you may need to use wood blocks on the bottom pieces as well. Touch up paint/stain/varnish if needed.
I hope you enjoyed this idea, and if you have any questions or comments, please let me know by commenting below!
UPDATE 12/2015:
I painted this table along with the living room furniture that this goes with. I debated whether to make a new blog post showing the updated table or just append to this post and decided to do the latter.
I used chalk paint and antique wax for the paint and finish. Once I get the living room furniture makeover post live with the complete tutorial, I’ll link back to it here.
I threw on a few vintage pieces before I decorated it for Christmas:
Please let me know what you think about the update in the comments section below!
love it! I’m just not a person who has ever tried anything like this, scared I’ll end up with a mess and wasted time and money lol!
Thanks Debby! š I wouldn’t have tried it myself if the table hadn’t already been splitting in two. I figured I wouldn’t be able to use it anyway, so if I messed it up it wasn’t a big deal!
Can you tell me what kind of saw you used and what kind of blade? Also, will this work on a table with a laminate top? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, I would also like to know what did you use to cut the table. I have coffee table that I’m considering doing this too but do not want to mess it up since it’s in good condition. TIA š
Hi Olivia! We used a circular saw.
What a great idea! I hate throwing away real furniture and that is a great way to breathe new life into an old coffee table!
Thank you! I’m glad you like it. I hate throwing anything away. š
What a great potting table it would make too! Painted and set out on a back patio area or on a back porch….I can just picture it!
It would huh? So many great ideas, so little time.
Great minds think alike! I found a sturdy coffee table in the trash&cut it in half, leaving one side wider than the other, but I’m using the smaller half as a wall shelf above the table to create more of an entryway cubby area! LOVE your project!
Thank you Diana! š Your “cubby table” sounds adorable!
what an interesting display one would never have thought of that looks great
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Thank you so much Angie! š
So awesome!!! I’m pinning this to the Monday Funday board! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Katie! I’m glad I could share it with everyone! š
HOW SMART! I love this! Great re-purpose for sure! Great job girly!
Thank you Kate!!! You just made my weekend!
How ingenious an unique! Love the legs and curves on this piece. Thank you for sharing at What We Accomplished Wednesdays. Have a great weekend!
Blessings, Deborah
Thank you Deborah! š I love the curvage on this piece as well; that’s why I couldn’t part with it and had to come up with a way to repurpose it!
Really pretty! Thanks so much for linking!
You’re welcome! š Thank you for hosting and have a wonderful week!!!
That is a brilliant idea! I love it! Great job repurposing and not throwing it away. Thanks for sharing with us at Mommy needs a time out Thursdays.
You’re very welcome Samantha!!! š I’m glad I could share it. Thank you for hosting and have an awesome week!
This is so clever and beautiful, Michelle! I will be featuring your post in this week’s Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy
Thank you so much Kathy! I’m glad I could share it. Thank you for hosting!!! š
Cute idea!
Thank you Sherry! š
How clever! Stopping by from the Kathe with an E party. š I’d love for you to join mine on Saturdays- “Found & Foraged” for projects like this! It’ll be at http://www.averystreetdesign.com at 8 PM. Hope to see you! xo!
Thank you so much Laura! š I’ve got you on my linkup calendar!
Brilliant idea, and you have a hall table that matches your furniture. Cool.
Thank you Debbie! š
This is the best thing I’ve seen on Hometalk! You could even make a bench using a coffee table this way. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Sherry! š Thanks for clicking through to visit my blog!
I love your project! I am sharing it on my blog tomorrow as an example for a pinterest scheduler. I’ve got your project scheduled to pin to 32 group boards over the next few months.
gail
Thank you so much Gail! I’m going to have to swing by your blog tomorrow to see how the Pinterest scheduler works! š
I did something similar a couple years ago with one exception: I attached to table to the wall using cleats. I didn’t add the 1″x4″ legs on the back and it gives a cleaner look:)
Hi Debora! I thought of doing that myself, but I wanted to be able to move it around without unattaching/reattaching it to the wall. I agree that it gives it a cleaner look! š
I love this idea, I think I might try using a narrower board for the back although I do like the cleat idea too. And much to my surprise I love the antique white.
Michelle, I love this! First I thought, Wish I had a stray coffee table around to do this with. Then I realized I don’t even have a spot for an item like this. Shoooot!
LOL! I know how you feel- I’m running out of space for all my projects! Guess it’s time for a bigger house! š
Love your fabulous idea! I think I would expand on it and add a decorative back piece to the top 1/3 table, like you might see on a sideboard. And maybe put a backing between the the two levels, so I don’t see wall behind that area. ????
That’s a wonderful idea Suzanne! Maybe use some bead board or something like that? What do you think?
Can you tell me how you get the brown undertone? Love the look of the table.
Thank you Shari! š The brown undertone is from coating the table with an antiquing wax after chalk painting and distressing. I will be posting my living room makeover soon with a tutorial on how I did the table, so please stay tuned! š
Really like it…lovely. See this was completed a few years ago. Nice way to repurpose rsther than getting of it. Have seen this idea on Pinterest but mone as nice as this one.
Thank you so much Becky! š
I love love love it! It is gorgeous! The hair salon that we go to has a whole wall section like this with different tables to display their products and I have always loved it. I would love to do something like this but just don’t have anywhere to put one. You did a great job on it, and the color is perfect.
Thanks so much Linda! š
I see these coffee tables all the time at Thrift Stores/ReStores. I am going to have to try this. Like everyone else, if I can find it fairly cheap, game on. I wouldn’t try this on anything that is fairly new, in great condition, or expensive. Thank you for the inspiration!!