Pepper Design Blog

DIY Tutorial: Turning a Coffee Table into an Ottoman

The living room redecorating project is slowly coming along… and this week I had the chance to finish one of my big diy refashions. Using one of my favorite fabrics I turned a vintage coffee table into a tufted ottoman.

Here’s a quick recap of the inspiration board for the room (to see the before photos and painting project, check out this post):

I love the soft colors and the cozy-yet-modern feel each of these rooms exude (for image credits, check out this link). To bring that same warmth and coziness to our new living room, I wanted to introduce strong textiles to play up favorite colors and add pattern to the space. A big, soft ottoman fit the bill.

And so the search began… my mission was to find a coffee table that would allow for the finished ottoman to meet the following requirements (images from DecorPad):

*Storage space for coffee table books, photo albums and the like
*Tufting along the top of the cushion
*Unique/vintage-y legs
*And most importantly, the length had to be shorter than the max width of my fabric (most fabric bolts are somewhere around 54″ and it sure was tough to meet this criteria)

I searched and searched and searched… and found the perfect coffee table in the most unlikely of places! While at a friend’s house, I happened to notice an in-the-process-of-refinishing table sitting out on the patio. Would they mind if I took a stab at making it over? When they said yes I was beyond thrilled.

It’s a beautiful vintage table that’s made of solid wood and is incredibly sturdy – the craftsmanship definitely dates it back a few decades.

Here are my step-by-step directions just in case you decide to tackle something similar in the future. I used this very helpful guide from Little Green Notebook as my start but modified and built on to it as I went.

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{Coffee Table to Ottoman Refashion}

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Materials:
*Older coffee table
*Sanding paper and power sander
*Drill
*Staple gun
*Brown paint (I like a foam brush for the crevices)
*Sealant (bristle, everyday painting brush for a clean finish)
*2″ foam/cushion material
*Quilt batting
*Strong thread and needle
*Upholstery fabric (my table required a 36×54″ cutting – or just one yard of fabric)
*Lining (optional): additional fabric, spray glue

{Step 1} My ‘before’ piece had plenty of varnish and sealant on it and needed a thorough sanding to rough up the surface enough to hold paint. I used a power sander for the majority of this step but broke out the individual sanding sheets to really get around the details. I don’t have a picture of how sanded the table was before moving on, but really spend time here and you won’t regret it.

{Step 2} I chose to use a dark brown paint on the base of the table (remember that the top will get fabric and so no need to paint here) instead of staining the piece again – but that’s always an option. I applied two coats of paint and one layer of sealant, letting each layer dry completely between applications. I tested each of these products (they were leftovers from the garage, actually) before beginning to be sure that the look was what I was aiming for.

I hate to chop up this post… but it’s so darn big! In an effort to keep the home page loading quickly and from really dragging on… follow the jump to find detailed directions for adding cushion, batting, tufted buttons, fabric and upholstering it all together with nothing more than a staple gun.

I do hope you come check it out! Read more »

Celebrating Mother’s Day in Style

Mom’s Day is just around the corner and I can’t think of a better reason to gather the whole family for a special honoring meal. I am tremendously proud and gracious to have my mom and mom-in-law as role models – and we get to celebrate our mothers for just that reason each year!

Here’s a bit of inspiration in one of my favorite color combinations: red & turquoise.

Now’s the perfect time to drop a little note in the mail inviting everyone for a surprise brunch in honor of moms, grandmas, aunts and all of the special women in your life.

Set up a photobook to serve as a ‘guest book’ where everyone can leave a note next to family images. Serve cranberry mimosas and let each guest offer a special toast or memory.

Wrap up mom’s favorite cookies (don’t forget to include a copy of the recipe) as favors for each family member to take home.

This theme would work great for a shower, birthday, kids party or wedding, too! Images from this inspiration board are from: Party Spot, The Sweetest Occasion, Ashley’s Bride Guide.

{Vintage Nesting} DIY Linens & Book Art

Here are two more quick projects from the Vintage Nesting shower I threw a couple of weeks ago. The first is a quick tutorial on handmade tablecloths and napkins – it’s so easy to take a basic fabric remnant and turn it into themed linens for your entire party.

I found these teal damask prints at Joanns and used a spray adhesive to quickly hem them. *In retrospect I would use iron-on hem tape as my no-sew solution because my lovely linens did not hold up so well after multiple washings.*

For the entire step-by-step directions, check out the ‘read more’ button at the bottom of this post.

End result!

The second DIY project involved star shaped book bunting (unfortunately I didn’t get the best picture of the bunting – which was connected via tiny vintage brads – but here are a couple of shots where I used the book art on the various shower tables and pin board). It’s a vintage decoration that can be added anywhere.

Battle Cry of Freedom sacrificed itself for this project… I used the pages to make a multi-point star template that became table top decoration added amidst pictures of the mom-to-be and even connected at the points for a bunting that could be strung between doors, windows, on tables and behind a dessert buffet.

More step-by-steps for the handmade linens after the jump! Read more »