A few weeks back I mentioned that I needed to tweak a few things in our TV room & front room to make them feel more balanced. I tell ya, it’s never enough to just collect a bunch of pretty things in one room! It’s finding the right balance of elements, textures, scale and color that really make a space. I was feeling like the TV room was needing more contrast & depth and could use a good sized coffee table to balance our big sofa. After looking for specific a coffee table without much luck, I opted for an unfinished table from that I could stain myself and make a few modifications to.
I really wanted a dark, almost-black coffee table that was stained and not painted so the wood grain would still show through. I also was looking for a table that had a shelf on the bottom that I could style with books, bowls and other objects; living with little kids, our coffee table tops are never actually styled – but I figured the pretty things on the bottom shelf won’t get in the way of their playing on the table top! When I assembled the table, it was about 2″ too high for our sofa, so Ty quickly cut off the bottom taper of each leg. I like how square the profile of the table is without the tapered leg – I think it has more of a “found” look to it.
DIY DARK STAINED SQUARE COFFEE TABLE
-Unfinished coffee table from Amazon
-Penetrating Oil-Based Interior Stain or Gel Stain (I used this Minwax Stain in Ebony)
-Fast-Drying Oil-Based Polyurethane (I used this Minwax Poly in Satin – don’t want your finish to be too shiny!)
–Natural bristle paint brush
-Paint thinner or mineral spirits
–220 grit sandpaper
-Latex gloves
I like working with oil-based stains and polyurethane when I’m finishing a piece of furniture. It generally has a more even finish and because it doesn’t dry as fast as water-based stains it’s easier to work with. It is super stinky, and will stain anything it touches, so be sure to setup an area outside with proper ventilation and something to protect the surface you’re staining on.
Be sure to always, always, always stir (not shake) your can of stain so that all of the pigment from the bottom is evenly distributed through the stain. Otherwise, the pigment will be left on the bottom and the stain will look super light and unsaturated. I stir my can occasionally while I’m staining to make sure it’s always good and mixed.
When applying stain to unfinished wood, the longer the stain is left on the wood = the more time it has to penetrate = a darker, richer color. Because I wanted this table to be as dark as possible, I left it on the full 15 minutes and wiped off what hadn’t soaked into the wood; after that much time most of the stain had soaked in, especially after the first coat. I then applied a second coat an hour or so later and repeated the same process and again left the stain on for 15 minutes.
After allowing the stain to dry overnight, I then applied my polyurethane in thin even coats. You will want to work quickly as this dries fast and it can get gummy or uneven if you allow too much time to pass between applications.
After the first coat of polyurethane dries, take 220 grit sandpaper to lightly knock down any rough or uneven surfaces from the first coat. Once sanded, be sure to dust off the whole surface of the table before applying the second coat of poly. You can do this a third time — I stopped at two coats!
And if you’re looking for a super dark, not-black-not-brown stain, I can’t recommend this one enough. I love the way it turned out!
And there you go! Easy peasy. This is a great project for anyone who is tackling their first DIY or can’t seem to find the right piece of furniture for a space.
Here’s a little round-up of a few unfinished furniture pieces that would also make a great weekend project!
