Coffee table refinished!

Alternate title: The story of how a catalog image caused me to spend so much time on a piece of furniture that it became valuable solely by dint of how much time I invested.

A few years ago, I saw this picture in a catalog:

I looked around the house and found a coffee table that my brother left with me when he moved away from Los Angeles.  (Side note: This table was actually a cast-off from my brother's roommate when she moved.  The point being that it was doubly unwanted and probably cost $50 new.)

Several years later, I formulate a plan with the help of wood-working friends in Houston.  The plan:

1. Sand table with minimum 150 grit sandpaper.
2. Prime with gesso.
3. Paint stripes with acrylic paint.
4. Finish with water-based polyurethane, sanding lightly between coats.

Good plan.  Two years later, I put it in action.  Here's the table during sanding:

Sanding and priming were pretty easy.  Then I got to the stripes.  I felt that precision would be crucial at this stage, so I began by Photoshopping a mock-up of the stripes:

Translated those stripes to actual dimensions:

Using a template, I transferred the markings to the table and began taping and painting:

Taping and painting:

Repeat as necessary until finished:

The final step of applying polyurethane (and keeping Nemo away) was pretty easy.  I even applied some adhesive felt to the feet so it wouldn't damage the floor.

The table is not very well-made and the wood is cheap, but after spending two weeks painting and taping, I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.