How ’bout a round of applause for our new spider base coffee table top:

While marble or glass would be beautiful, I think marble is too heavy for the base.  And I know glass would be completely covered in fingerprints, taunting me daily.  So I had Ben help me (okay, he did all the cutting) make a paintable top.  He cut a sheet of 1/2 inch MDF to 36 1/4 inches square, then made a pivot point to make a perfect circle.  A scrap of MDF nailed to the center of the square, like this:

Which gives a rigid edge to spin, following with a pencil.

Using a jigsaw, Ben cut close, but just outside the line.  With the corners cut, I got out the orbital sander with 80 grit paper and sanded until I met the pencil line.  For a smoother edge, I followed up with 150 grit paper, primed, painted, and sealed both sides with Polycrylic.  I set the top on and for the first time in my home ownership, I’ve got a coffee table.

I had a sample jar of Valspar’s Sweet Mint, which I think pairs nicely with the wood base.  Fun and colorful, without being bright and crazy.

Sweet Mint is also a near perfect match for the sky in my MT Photo Journal Heavenly print and landscape painting on the mantel.

If I get sick of it, I can quickly sand it down to repaint with minimal money and effort.

We’ve got a few games on top including tic tac toe and the checker book.  The terrarium, pulled from the boys’ room, adds greenery and a glass jar with our initials rounds out the set.

Which do you prefer, coffee tables or ottomans?  It feels less like a dorm room, so adult, to have one.  And really fun to accessorize.  Now to convince Ben to replace the ottoman in the living room with a coffee table.