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Union Jack Coffee Table {With A Twist}

You know what’s really fun? Getting free furniture that you’re redoing for someone else. Why? Because 1) it was free, so if you jack it up you don’t have to feel bad and 2) it doesn’t need to match your house, so you get to branch out and try something new.

Here’s how this makeover went down…

Friend: “Hey, do you want a free coffee table? Here’s a pic…”

free coffee table

Me: “Yes. I’ll paint it and give it to Taylor (my brother-in-law) and he can put it in front of that old bare mattress he calls a couch.”

So I get it home and I add it to the pile of furniture that needs to be painted…the pile that lives on our front porch, cause we’re THOSE neighbors, the furniture hoarding garage-less ones.

It sits there for a few weeks until one Sunday when Elijah is taking an exceptionally long nap.

Husband: “Let’s go paint those tables…I want to get all that stuff off our porch.”

Me: “Okay!” (Looks like all I need to do is hoard furniture to get help painting it…good to know.)

So I take my before picture…

before table makeover

Then I paint the legs a stormy blue color (leftover from the kitchen cabinets) and sand the top down to bare wood. I was planning on staining the top, but as I was looking at the table, I saw it…a Union Jack.

painted table legs

Me: “We have to paint a Union Jack on top of the table. Look, it already looks like one.”

Husband: “It does, but I JUST finished sanding it down…”

Me: “I know, sorry…the table wants what the table wants.”

Husband: “How about if we did a Union Jack in different colors of stain rather than painting it?’

I think I got a little weak in the knees…that was a GREAT idea. I started to get excited and imagined us becoming like John and Sherry…doing projects all day every day, sharing blogging responsibility…

Husband: “Well, let’s do this before Elijah wakes up or else we’re screwed.”

Daydream over.

So he tapes it off…

hidden Union Jack flag

and I start to stain it. I used dark walnut for the blue, red chestnut for the red, and the natural wood was the white.  (I know, it’s not the most accurate Union Jack…)

staining designs into wood

Then I start to peel off the tape. I hold my breath because my projects always go wrong before they go right, and nothing had gone wrong yet.

It was perfect, I couldn’t believe it. A couple coats of polycrylic and it was done before Elijah woke up.

Projects that go right are a beautiful thing!

union jack table

bachelor pad coffee table

nap time coffee table project

One thing is for sure…it’s really going to class up Taylor’s apartment!

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109 Comments

  1. That table looks wonderful! What an genius idea to stain the union jack using the existing lines. Your BIL is going to love it! And who knows, maybe you will become John and Sherry someday. :)

  2. Awesomesauce! Made of winning! And lots of other over-used pop-culture phrases that try to describe and praise something that is just so cool!

    Found you on finding the funny.

  3. I love it! You know that table was in my first after-college apartment, right? I showed it to Matt and he said “Wow, I remember that table. It never looked that good in your apartment.” Lol!

    1. I had no idea, I just knew it came from your parents garage. Got any other old furniture you want to git rid of? I need two regular dressers, one tall dresser, two nightstands, another coffee table…

      Thank goodness yard sale season is coming up!

  4. I love that you saw the Union Jack “in” the table – that is so cool! Like a sculptor who looks at a chunk of soapstone and “sees” a bear. Totally impressive! And the finish on it all is just gorgeous.

  5. Gorgeous! How did you paint the pretty base without leaving brush marks? Whenever I paint furniture I have brush marks. I hate that.

    1. I always leave brush marks too, plus I was using a really old rough brush this time. It the paint I used, it’s AMAZING. It goes on so crazy smooth and has great coverage and dries fast. It’s bascally what dreams are made of. For $10 I’ll tell you who makes it. No I’m kidding…it’s Duration paint by Sherwin Williams. We had origianlly bought it to paint our lower kitchen cabinets and I was so blown away that I went back and bought the same paint in white, even though we had already bought white for our top cabinets. Funny thing is, the white goes on like any other paint. I was soooo dissapointed…looks like I’m just going to have all my furniture redos be in navy blue!

  6. Thanks Ashley! So you are saying that you would not buy Duration paint in white? I wonder why the color would make a finish difference. Live and learn. I guess.

  7. OH. MY. GOODNESS.

    Genius. Pure brilliance. And it’s FREAKIN’ GORGEOUS!! Taylor is luck that I don’t know where he lives, otherwise he’d wake up in the morning with a jimmied lock and a missing coffee table. ^_- Thank you so much for sharing – I will totally be doing this as soon as I find an early 90’s-ish table with a built in Union Jack design.

    ~Nicole @ http://www.shabbybeachnest.com

    1. I know I’m 4 years late, lol, but shame on you aimee…….especially as you’re British I’m dismayed that 1; it’s called the Union FLAG, it’s only called the Union Jack when it’s flown aboard a ship & 2; it’s not a true Union Flag either :-(

      It’s a fantastic looking table, don’t misunderstand me, I think it’s really beautifully finished, but the Union Flag is a combination of the English, Scottish & Welsh flags, one laid on top of the other & the crosses aren’t symmetrically placed, in fact to my disgust many British people don’t even know that there is a right way & wrong way up. :-) To be correct the wide white stripe should be diagonal from the bottom left up to the top right corner and IF it is flown upside down it is the sign of a surrender :-)

      Before I get jumped on from a great height for being a pedantic picky Limey, I’m sure any American would be quick to point out if anyone depicted a U.S.A. flag with the incorrect number of stars or stripes :-)

      Finally Ashley, I think you’re absolutely brilliant & an inspiration, I’m saving the pennies for my counter tops :-)

  8. This is gorgeous! I love it, I just linked over from Craptastic, your blog is so cute, I’m excited to look through and see your other projects.

  9. What a fabulous redo! I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! Go to my blog to check out the details:)

    Rachel (absolutelylovingmylife.blogspot.com)

  10. Loving it, Ashley!! Another FABULOUS project…you are so talented, girl! I soooo wish I could come down there and buy that farmhouse table from you. If you still have it come June, let me know…I’d have time for a road trip then (and time to convince the hubs that I need another table)! Your Union Jack has the Downton Abbey fan in me swooning…I’m featuring it on my FB page: http://www.facebook.com/ishouldbemoppingthefloor. Thanks bunched for linking up at Mop It Up Monday!!
    {HUGS},
    kristi

  11. What a great transformation. I would love if you linked up to my link party “Show Off Mondays @ Kampen Lane Design”. Cant wait to see what you create next.

    kampenlane.com

    ~Taylor

  12. Wow! That is really amazing! I think it is so pretty. It’s awesome how you can just all of a sudden come up with that idea and make it work. I love that the table wants what the table wants. Ha!

    (Thanks for linking this up over at #findingthefunny last week!)

  13. That turned out so amazing! Love that you used the pattern already in the wood but gave it a unique spin with the Union Jack. Pinned!

    Visiting from Domestically Speaking – Rhonda @ home.made.

  14. Oh my how I love this! I still can’t get enough of the Union Jack on furniture, but with stain!! Oh my, I must try this out. Your husband wanted to do this with you? Hang onto that man! I am featuring tomorrow at my party, will start at 2:00 PST. thank you so much for sharing! -K

  15. It’s darling- I love it!! I have a very similar table waiting for a new look too… you got me thinking! Thanks for sharing at Feathered Nest Friday!

  16. Truly beautiful. I’ve wanted to try something like this for quite some time. It looks like a beautiful wood inlay created by a skilled craftsman! And you make it look pretty easy! Featured on A2D today. Thanks for sharing! –Kristi

  17. Amazingly beautiful. Really cool that you used the pattern on the top of the table. Most of the time when I come up with an idea, it doesn’t work, so glad it did for you. You now have a class act coffee table. Thanks for sharing you creative inspiration at Sunday’s Best Par.tay!

  18. oh awesome! I’ve been staring at a piece of furniture, wanting to stain the pieces diff colors but scared they will leak! This looks terrific!

  19. Hi Ashley, This is my favorite kind of project. I love upcycling & I love people who see beauty in an object that was destined for the garbage. You did an excellent job! Thank you so much for linking up on Fabulous Friday at Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust.

    Warmly, Michelle

  20. I absolutely love this table, but had a question.. how did you keep those lines so crisp? Didn’t you get any bleed under the frog tape? My hubby has been wanting to do a two tone stain before but I was always afraid of bleed through, which doesn’t really happen w/ the frog tape and paint, but I’ve been terrified to mess up a piece I’ve worked so hard on with stain.. let me know if you did anything else, like wood conditioner or a clear paint or something. Did you use oil based stain or water? Thanks for the info!! And I LOVE IT!

    1. The pictures make the table look totally perfect, but we did get a tiny bit of bleed. Just a tiny bit, and it could have been avoided if we didn’t do it in a super hurry. We didn’t do anything extra and used regular Minwax oil based stain…just push down the edges of the tape really really well and when you stain don’t wipe it torward the tape. That’s it! Good luck and THANK YOU!

  21. This is AMAZING! I have done a two-color staining project before, but there were grooves to “divide” the stains. I wouldn’t have guessed that painter’s tape would give such great results with stain as well as paint! Love, love, love it!

  22. I’m in lurve………maybe it’s just speaking to me cos I’m a British lass, but this is the best Union Jack I’ve seen!! Love the stain idea :)

  23. This is the coolest table. I will be featuring it tonight at my Swing into Spring party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured button. Thanks so much.

  24. This table looks fab!!! I love what you did with the stain and the shade of blue you used on the base and legs is beautiful. Another very inspiring project.

  25. I loved your project the first time I saw it, and then we ended up with a table that had a Union Jack pattern on it too (we bought the table only because we wanted the chairs that went with it for another project). So we decided to try your technique–we even printed out the picture of your taping pattern. It came out gorgeous–check it out on my blog: http://talesfromasearshouse.blogspot.com/

    Thank you for the inspiration–I credited you and linked to your blog from mine.

  26. WOW – I love your (Taylor’s) coffee table and you’re right – the way the wood was going – it was wanting to be a Union Jack coffee table. I like the way your write too – you sure did make me laugh reading your blog. Great job on the coffee table. Kudos!

  27. I’m SOOO glad I ran across this article! I have a dining table with a similar top and have been wanting to sand and refinish it, but I wasn’t sure it would take the sanding. Any particular advice on sanding when the grain is running in so many different directions? Do you have to be really careful?

  28. I’m extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the structure to your weblog. Is this a paid subject or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it is uncommon to peer a great weblog like this one today..

  29. Realy very nice, turned out great!
    By the by, its a FLAG, a JACK is a flag that is on a boat. :D
    Union Flag !
    keep up the good work.

  30. I’m using this general idea on a wood coffee table I found for $3.
    And just to add to the union jack/union flag debate the flag institute says:

    It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that “the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag”.

  31. I stumbled upon your blog a few days ago via Pinterest and have been enjoying reading about your various projects. When I first started reading about this one, I was immediately interested as we just picked up a table this past weekend with the same pattern on the top. You can guess what I want to do with ours now!! I love this idea, and using stain is such a beautiful yet subtle way to accent the table. Thanks so much for the inspiration!

    1. You’re welcome :) This is still one of my favorite projects, mainly because not only did it turn out fantastic but it was also super easy. One naptime…it doesn’t get better than that! Good luck with yours!

  32. I would pay money for this. I mean it! If you ever want to sell it, seriously get in touch with me cause Id ship it clear to the UK. Great job.

  33. Hi. This is a fantastic tutorial. After reading it, I went on a mission to find a similar table.
    Craigslist=jackpot! $15 (and it came with a leaf!).
    I was so proud of myself for negotiating and bringing it home by myself.
    I showed my husband, and he simply said “it’s Formica. You can’t stay that.”
    My heart sank.
    There has to be a way to stain the table still…right? I adore yours. I don’t want it to sit in the basement. Any help would be appreciated.
    Merry Christmas!!

    1. I hate to be the bearer of bad news (especially after you got such a great deal on the perfect table) but I’m going to have to agree with your husband. I don’t think you’d have any luck trying to stain formica because it’s basically plastic. You could rip the top layer of formica up (it should just be a really thin sheet) and add a wood veneer over the particleboard that’s underneath. That way you would have a wood top you can stain, and it shouldn’t be to difficult. I’ve never done it myself, but you basically just glue the veneer onto the top of the table. http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Wood-Veneer I hope that helps…I’ve bought a few pieces of furniture I thought were wood only to find out they’re laminate. Sometimes that stuff looks just like the real thing.

  34. I love this! I’ve been wanting to refinish my Pottery Barn knock-off coffee table for a couple of years now, but haven’t figured out what I wanted the top to look like-until today :)

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