Our outdoor space has no tables. We have this wonderful balcony that faces the Chicago skyline, and we pretty much just have a barbecue and a bench out there and we really really really needed some kind of outdoor table just to put our stuff on. So i searched for one at all the obvious places like crate & barrel and pottery barn, but I didn't like the idea of spending over $100 on an outdoor table that's meant to get all weather worn.
At the same time I have these really ugly boring $10 Ikea laminate tables from my graduate school days that I would throw in the dumpster in a heartbeat:
But they're the perfect size for an outdoor table. However, after watching hours and hours of HGTV like I do on any given day, I know better than to just set it out there on my balcony without weatherproofing it first.
***I did spend a lot of time documenting my table transformation, but unfortunately the camera's memory card is messed up so I only have one picture***
I looked up several websites that are solely dedicated to sprucing up ikea furniture (like ikea hacker) and decided to sand, prime and paint the table. I used an exterior white paint (to protect the table from mildew) and decided to finish the table top with ceramic and glass tiles using a thinset and grout that's recommended for shower tiling since its water resistant. While I don't suggest going to Home Depot for tile, because their tile section is severely lacking in diversity, I did happen to find a green tile that I liked.
And now my ugly black table isn't so ugly anymore:
I probably only spent ~$60 on materials but have a ton of paint and tile adhesive + grout to last for awhile. I still have another ugly black table, so I'm still thinking of another way to transform it, or even adding a backsplash to my kitchen. More crochet tomorrow, I promise!
Hi nice reaading your blog
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