Winter is still here in full force, which means I’ve been stuck in the house.  A lot.  So I’m forced to keep my self entertained, often involving a project.  Precisely why I’ve painted this table top for the third time in less than one year.  Third time’s the charm, right?

See, as I flipped through the new West Elm catalog, I kept imagining the Reeve Mid-Century Coffee Table in our house.

Then it dawned on me, I already have a similar clean lined, handsome wood, brass footed table.  The big difference?  It didn’t have the beautiful, sophisticated marble top.  Instead it had a bold chevron top.  At the time I painted the stripes, I loved the added pattern.  Now, I’m kind of over it.  Not over it enough to paint over it, oh no, that took too long to do.

Ideally, I’d have a real marble slab, but I’m afraid the folding base design couldn’t handle the added weight.

But the other side, a minty green, was fair game.

I painted three coats of eggshell white latex on it and then started my faux marble paint treatment.

Using a few gray and black craft paints, I watered each color down.  I didn’t measure (and don’t have pictures) but I’d guess it was 1 part paint to 2 parts water.  Super runny and I barely mixed each color, which helped create a more natural variation.  A feather worked best to apply a thin, free-flowing line of watery paint.  Immediately after making the line, I used a 2 inch angled craft paint brush to stipple the paint.  Just after stippling, I followed up with a damp paper towel, blotting to blend the paint and soften the edges.

Some areas are much lighter and more blended.  A few other veins are darker with black patches.  If I didn’t like how one area looked, I used my damp cloth to wipe the paint away and start over.  Once I finished, I coated the top with satin Polycrylic for a protective finish.

The sides are painted to match.  Carrying the marble paint to the sides helps give a more realistic effect.

Maybe I just needed a change, but I’m enjoying the lighter, more subtle top.

I think it balances the base better and lets the interesting leg shape shine.

Not a bad result for a free project and 10 dollar base.  What coffee table tops do you like best?