We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
There are few spaces that don’t mix with marble. The white and gray tones of Carrera or Calcutta Gold beautifully coordinate with virtually any design. Our friend Jen from withHeart knew a marble coffee table would work perfectly in the living room. She came up with a plan to make one after finding this beauty online for $40. (Genius!)
The marble wasn’t attached to the wood base, but rather sitting on top of it. With new legs, the marble top would feel modern yet classic.
Hunting for more of a mid-century vibe, she settled on hairpin legs and ordered four of the standard hairpin legs in raw steel, 1/2 inch rod, 16 inch size. (They were $16/each.)
First, the smaller piece of wood was cut into four pieces. After deciding where the legs would go, the four smaller pieces were glued on the flat wood piece. Next, the legs were drilled into the smaller pieces, and right into the flat wood piece. Together it all made a new base with cool legs.
Everything then got two coats of gold spray paint.
Using a strong adhesive, the marble was attached to the wood base. The marble is heavy so it held the coffee table firmly together until the adhesive dried.
She moved the coffee table into the living room and fell in love with it immediately. After a bit of time, something wasn’t feeling right about the table: the shiny surface.
She picked up some 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper at the hardware store. (It’s about $5 a package.)
She moved the coffee table outside and onto a drop cloth to protect the legs. The process was simple: Using a water spray bottle to wet the marble surface and a palm sander, she moved in small circles until polish was gone. She worked section by section until the entire surface was honed.
Since it was difficult to tell when the polish was off, she kept a wet cloth and dry towel on hand to wipe off the wet dust and dry the surface before tilting it in the sunlight.
For the beveled edges, I sanded them by hand using a small piece of sand paper and the spray bottle. It’s important to keep the surface wet, but it doesn’t need to be drenched.
After letting it dry overnight, she sealed it with this marble sealant, also available at the hardware store.
A fairly easy process, just a little time consuming. Worth every bit of sanding in her book.
Honed marble happiness. Just ask Jen.