PERK UP YOUR SIDES

Table gets DIY makeover

One of the more overlooked pieces of the furniture family is the side table. They sit peacefully next to our chesterfields and beds, hold your beverages and perhaps that turntable you play in the evenings, with Bowie’s Blackstar stashed nearby.

The tables in my cosy home are somewhat lacklustre: they’re cheap Ikea pieces from my college days and, while they definitely serve their purpose, they’re rather bland. The living room is filled with decor bearing pastel greens and colourful crocheted blankets, all brought together with black furniture and beautiful grey-mauve walls.

I needed something brighter with a simple pattern, preferably something that matched greens throughout the room. And since I had some Chalk Paint™ decorative Paint by Annie Sloan on hand, buying something new was out of the question. Besides, this seemed like the perfect weekend for a little DIY fun.

GEOMETRIC SIDE TABLE

Repetitive patterns have a way of unifying a room, especially if they’re composed of clean lines or simple shapes like diamonds and triangles. They’re echoed in nature — it’s impossible to miss the honeycomb structures, the countless fractals and spheres. Contemporary design also favours geometry: we see it decorating vases and throw pillows, embedded in ceramic tiles and featured in pendant light fixtures.

The colour chosen for this project was intentionally bold: the room the table resides in is filled with muted greens, greys and blacks, and it needed a strong centrepiece to command attention. It’s the first thing my guests see when they enter the living room and is a great conversation piece.

Step 1: Acquire your side table. I used a black LACK side table, purchased from Ikea for $9.99. Make sure that you clean the table thoroughly before beginning the next step.

Step 5: After the wax has dried, peel back your painter’s tape to reveal the finished product. For added shine, wait 24 hours and then buff your table.

Step 3: Paint the entire table using Antibes Green.

Step 2: Using your painter’s tape, create your new design. Be sure to smooth out the tape to prevent any air bubbles.

Step 4: Once dry, apply clear wax to the entire table, removing any excess with a clean cloth. Next, apply the black chalk paint wax and push it into the paintwork to bring out brush marks. Wipe back any excess with clear wax and make sure every part of your table has been waxed at least once.