When I think of man cave furniture, I think of leather, wood, and all things chunky and manly. Unfortunately for my man, this isn’t my style of choice for our home. Give me all the pretty! Did I say OUR home? Yikes! That’s where the man cave furniture comes in. Sometimes you just need to bend a little in marriage, and that’s what I did.
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How I Created A Rusty Man Cave Coffee Table
Before starting a project, I pretty much have a clear idea of what I’m looking for. I had heard that our local church was having a garage sale, so I headed out to see what I could find. Most everything is donated to these sales, and you can really SCORE big if you’re lucky.
Yep! I SCORED big time when I found this coffee table and matching side of super chunky manliness for $20. There’s nothing feminine about this coffee table, and I was pretty sure it was perfect for my idea.
This photo doesn’t show the coolest feature about this table, but the top is attached with springs that allow it to elevate into a tabletop. Football central right here!!! I can just see all his snacks and beverages sitting nicely right in front of his oversized leather recliner… AKA throne to HIS royal highness.
Supply List:
- Stormy Seas Chalk Mineral Paint
- Caviar Chalk Mineral Paint
- Prime Start for metal surfaces (metal handles only)
- Iron Patina Paint
- Patina Spray
- Gator Hide Top Coat
- Cling On Brush for blending (I use different sizes). The larger brush was used for painting large surfaces, and the small brush was used for blending and shading.
- Chip brush for application of Iron Paint
- Spray bottle for water (blending paint)
Option: Modern Masters also makes a similar Patina Paint that works well. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Creating a Faux Wood Plank Tabletop
For starters, I needed a plan for the top of the coffee table. It was a little plain.
I wanted it to be manly but farmhouse-ish at the same time, so I decided to create a faux-plank top by cutting grooves across it to look like wood planks. Using a square, I marked lines across the tabletop in random sizes. Kind of like irregular plank boards on an old farmhouse floor.
Using my circular saw, I set the depth to about 1/8 inch and cut grooves across the top of the wooden table along the lines I marked off. After a quick sanding and cleaning, it was ready for paint.
Painting The Base Color of the Coffee Table
The grooves I had cut into the wood were painted with Caviar (black) to resemble planks.
Next, I layered and blended Stormy Seas (blue-gray) over the black to give the coffee table a subtle but blended look. CLICK HERE to learn more about blending paint on furniture.
The whole process was super easy and so much fun.
The Patina Paint Spray Activator In Progress
After painting the base colors and letting them dry, I added the Iron Patina Paint with a chip brush to the areas where I wanted a rusty patina.
Immediately after adding the Iron Patina Paint, I sprayed the Patina Spray activator (while it was still wet) over all areas where the paint had been applied. Allowing the patina spray to pool and puddle in some areas, and even to dip off the sides and down the legs, created a unique look.
In this photo, you can see how the Patina spray activator is activating the iron paint. The whole process takes between 2- 6 hours. I let it sit overnight for the ultimate rusty finish.
This Rusty Goodness Happened Overnight!
The next morning, I was so excited to see the finish once it had dried that I called my hubby out to the studio for his opinion on the rusty, crusty man-cave furniture. Trust me when I say I rarely ask his opinion about my work. He says, “Paint ruins wood.” Yep, he’s all man.
Well, his response was all I needed. One word. “WOW!” The BEST compliment ever about my furniture makeovers.
That was until he decided we should keep them. What did I just DO??? My style is farmhouse, not man cave central. That’s what I get for being creative. 😏
This is the look after I applied one coat of Gator Hide topcoat for ultimate water-resistant protection. It’s rusty and crusty and full of man charm, if that is even a thing.
The Final Reveal Man Cave Coffee Table Makeover
I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out on this coffee table set. The best thing about rust paint is that you have total control. Add a little or add a lot to get the rust effect you want.
The step-by-step video tutorial is available in The Art of Painting Furniture.
Well, I’m a little sad to say this coffee table set is no longer with us. Darn! 😉 I sold it to a sweet local lady who wanted it for her hubby’s man cave, and the last time we talked, she said he was still loving that coffee table. I always smile when one of my furniture makeovers finds a new home where it’s appreciated.
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope this Coffee Table Makeover gave you a few ideas and maybe even inspired you to try a faux rust finish on your own furniture. It’s such a fun technique, and the rusty details add just the right amount of rugged character without any actual rust.
I’d love to hear what you think! Have you ever tried a faux rust paint technique, or do you have a piece of furniture just waiting for a makeover? Leave me a comment below—I always enjoy hearing from you.
And if you found this project helpful, I’d be so grateful if you’d share it with a friend and save it to your DIY Furniture Makeover board on Pinterest so you can find it again later.
Until the next project… xo, Do
