DIY Brass Tiered Side Table Project

As I was out and about over the weekend I saw that one of my eager neighbours put out some items for collection at their curb.  I couldn't help but take notice of this hideous brass tiered side table that was sitting there alone at the curb in the rain - kinda reminded me of that IKEA commercial some years back.  I hemmed and hawed over whether I should claim this sad looking side table on the side-of-the-road, so I did.  What drew me to this curb-side find were the lines.  I figured that with some TLC this piece could have a new lease on life, here is what I did:


What I Used
220 grit Sandpaper
White flat finish Spray Paint - 2 cans (this baby needed more than 2 coats!)
Dry Cloth
Fabric Swatch
Clear drying glue
2 Baskets
And lots of elbow grease


Here is a before shot of the side table:

The brass shine finish needed to be sanded off before the paint would adhere, this is where the 220 grit sandpaper came in handy.  You don't want to scratch the brass because the gouges will show up once the paint dries so be sure not to go any lower than 220 grit.  After some elbow grease I wiped down the table with a dry cloth - a wet cloth will leave moisture on the brass and could cause rust to form, so be sure to use a dry cloth to wipe off the dust.


I could have used a primer coat of spray paint and you could do this in lieu of three coats of the white flat finish which will cut down on the time you spend, but I decided to make my life difficult and sprayed until my heart was content.  And after two full coats and one for touch-ups I was happy with the outcome.


The side table came with a glass top and I wanted to add a bit of something to the underside of the glass for a touch of intrigue.  The fabric swatch I had was cut to size, pressed and glued to the underside of the glass - good side facing up through the glass. Small incisions were made to allow the suction-cups (that came with the side table) to adhere to the glass.  This is so that the glass doesn't slip off when being used or transported. 


Here are a couple of after shots of the side table:

I really like how the black pops off of the white in re-finished side table, baskets and fabric.  This side-of-the-road cast-off now has a new lease on life with a fresh coat of paint, some TLC and accessories, and is now a proud member of my home happily placed in my guest room as a bedside table.