Look What I Can Do...

Finding and sorting pictures for remodel posts of each room is going to take some time. In the interim I thought I'd post a write up of a project the I did after the remodel was complete. 

When the den was finished we decided to use a small media shelf as a temporary console table.  The plan was to find a piece of furniture that we both loved which would fit the space.  After about a year of looking I'd had enough.  I figured I'd just build one myself; nevermind the fact that I had no experience building furniture.  Not really knowing where to begin I turned to my most trusted advisor.

I came across Ana White's blog Knock-off Wood, and based my console table loosely upon her plans for the Tao media cabinet.  Ana's plans were easy to follow and adapt; building the piece went quickly.  I think that it was assembled, with help for The Boy and his Daddy, in two evenings after work.  Finishing it was another story. It took almost a week to finish.  After sanding everything smooth, two coats of Lamp Black Milk Paint were applied, followed by a coat of PolyAcrylic and two coats of Brick Red Milk Paint.  Once the second coat of red paint was dry it was time to get out more sandpaper.  Since the console table was going to live in our den, my husband and I decided that we wanted it to look very distressed to help hide any damage that The Boy was sure to inflict.  Once we'd achieved the level of distressing we wanted we clear coated the console table again (and again, and again) with PolyAcrylic.  We figured that three coats should help keep The Boy from destroying the finish too quickly.

Overall we're pretty happy with how it turned out.  We're able to hide DVDs, a Wii and the plethora of Wii accessories that The Boy and his Daddy need as well as an abundance of other TV/Internet related junk.  This was also our first experience with milk paint, and I have to say I've been extremely impressed. Even with an incredibly active little boy running around, the paint hasn't gouged or scrapped.  There has been virtually no wear and the finish had not needed any touch-ups.  (You'd be impressed if you could see the way The Boy treats furniture!) 

Here is the completed console table/media cabinet...

Ignore my horrible photography skills.  Maybe I'll work on them once I finish grad school.