Burlap & Denim

I know I say this a lot, but, this is one of my favorite projects of all time!!!  It all started with a trip to ReStore.  If you’ve never been to ReStore, you must go!  It is a home improvement thrift store, just the description is dreamy, right?  Anyway, this was out in the yard and I asked how much, $5 later and it was in my van, ready for its new home.

I used it this last Christmas as my tree stand and swooned every time I looked at it .  I couldn’t bare to put it back outside after Christmas so I decided to turn it into the diy coffee table I always knew it could be.

I started out with a trip to Home Depot and picked up a 1/2 sheet of plywood.  It was a 4X4 sheet of pre-sanded plywood in the project section.  No cutting and wasting, no giant pieces of plywood to shove in the van, just a small, concise piece that even I could carry on my own (no awkward cart required).  It was $22 and worth every penny.

The plywood was a touch too big to fit inside the four corners of the crate so I used a pencil and scratched a line around from the underside.  Then I flipped it over on a couple of saw horses and cut it out with a saw.  I did a few dry fits until it fit snug inside the crate.  (NOTE: for my crate, this piece of 15/32″ plywood fit perfect, check your crate to make sure it was made with the same dimensions before purchasing a piece of plywood)

Then with a quick sand of rough sand paper to smooth out all of the edges and any rough spots and I laid it in place.  I actually quite liked the look of the wood and considered finishing it off some how (and still may in the future) but then inspiration struck.

I grabbed a woven gray throw and wrapped the plywood top, stapling the edges to the underside.  It added sheen, texture, and color to the crate.  But it was still lacking somehow.

That was when my Sherpa rug came in.  My mom had bought it from Costco for me when I had my first baby.  He loved rolling around on it.  It graced every nursery after that.  Since I no longer have or need a nursery (keep your fingers crossed!) I was looking for a way to use it downstairs in our family room.  I didn’t want it getting a lot of foot traffic since they can be pricey to clean (trust me, we’ve had to have this one dry cleaned twice alread…come on, we had it in a nursery…?).  Laying it diagonal over the gray throw and hanging down the wood sides was perfection.

I love the juxtaposition of the rough wood, stamped and stenciled with rusted nails and green braces against the shimmery gray throw and the fluffy cream rug.

The colors are perfect with my grayish blue wall, charcoal chairs and light gray velvet sofa.

Here is a view from upstairs.  It is large and fills up the center of our family room, but acts as a great gathering spot.

Again, I’m loving the fancy gold accent table in the same room as the rustic coffee table.

Another photo to show how well the textures work together.

Now, for you traditionalists, this “coffee table” is not your traditional piece.  It is taller than the seat cushions of the sofas and the chairs.  This may bother some people, but not me.  I’ve always liked the UN traditional.

The crate is very sturdy (and heavy) and the plywood is quite strong even without any securing of it to the crate.  The sherpa lambs skin rug beckons the kids to lay on it (note the sleeping babe below).  It is a favorite spot to lay and watch tv, or to perch and play guitar.  Imagine having a party and eight people could sit around the edges and talk to the people on the hearth, sofas or chairs.

Here you can see how it all fits together in my current family room decor.  When things get switched over to Summer Beach, I’m sure this table will get a makeover of sorts.  (read about my wall hanging and neutral pallet mantle)

Alright, alright, I’ll stop talking, just enjoy the photos…

Total cost of this table: $5 crate, $22 plywood, throw, rug, and staples on hand = $27

Project Difficulty = super easy!

Project Time = 1 hour of fiddling with the wood and throw

Linked Up: Design Dining and Diapers, Funky Junk, Tatertots & Jello, View Along the Way, Remodelaholic

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