I’ve had this charming little table for many years. Lately it had been relegated to the garage, waiting for a new purpose. Don’t worry, table — I never stopped appreciating you; you simply hadn’t fit where I needed you. You deserved a special place.
I actually bought the table about 15 years ago right off an antique dealer’s truck during our neighborhood garage sale. I probably paid a little too much, but I fell in love with it. It was perfect in my tiny English living room and was well used and loved for many years.
When I moved to the “big house” the table felt too small for the space, so it ended up tucked away. Later, when we moved to this house, its look didn’t match the direction I was taking with my decor. So it sat again, overlooked and forgotten.
Until this weekend.
A couple of weeks ago I impulsively moved my leather ottoman into the family room, which left my living room without a coffee table. I thought about that lonely little table, which had become a catchall for garage clutter. Its worn top and dark orange stain no longer suited my style.
What to do with a lonely and blue coffee table?
I could have painted it white, gray, black, or even teal. But being a decorating risk-taker, I went for bright blue.
Boat Blue by Valspar (interior satin), to be exact.
It is blue, and I love it!
I know some wood purists might cringe at the idea of painting wood furniture. My husband nearly had a heart attack. But I still love wood pieces and have several beautiful wooden items in my home. The problem is too many different woods competing in one room. When a piece is worn or no longer speaks to me, painting it can bring it back to life and make me fall in love with it all over again.
Better to have a painted table you adore than a wood table you keep out of obligation but don’t really love.
The little table is no longer lonely or forgotten. It’s now loved and proudly painted a beautiful shade of blue. Be brave and do what makes you happy.
Are you brave enough to do what you love? What holds you back?
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Another inspiring table makeover:
Dining Room Table Makeover