Aurora Borealis and Star Map-Inspired Coffee Table

Hello again! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while- my husband and I moved from a cramped one-bedroom apartment to one with two. So much more room! But with all of this space, we have a larger living room and realized… we have no coffee table. The small glass end table my sister gave us has worked adequately, but we need something that makes a statement and is functional. But where to get a coffee table?

As luck would have it, my Grandpa James is an artist/wood worker/jack-of-all-trades, and while out finding materials, he found a topless coffee table on the side of the road. What luck! We discussed some ideas, and since I’ve been in a painting mood, he suggested I paint the top and we then attach it to the table frame to create a personalized piece of furniture.

We started off by cutting out the shape of the inlay from a piece of sturdy plywood. Just like painting with canvas, you will want to paint 2 coats of primer in order to prep the area for painting. For this, I plan on using acrylic, as it dries quickly and I enjoy smearing it with my hands (I’m odd, I know. The artist in me likes to get messy).

Oval plywood top with white primer. Looks like it got some stain on it from being in my Grandpa’s shop, but I’m not concerned since I’ll paint over it. No biggie!

Next, I made some sketches of what to put on this long oval piece that would soon be the center of our coffee table. Recently, I have been intrigued by pictures of the galaxies, stars, and Aurora Borealis: the vibrant colors, the complex planets, the mysteries that keep us wondering. Small fact: my husband and I had an Astronomy class in college together, and since then, I’ve been in love with the subject. Anyway, here is the sketch I ultimately went with:

Basic sketch with mountains in foreground, planet-like shapes and spaces for star maps, and aurora background.

   After deciding on the sketch, I carefully drew it to fit the scale my plywood top. I adjusted it and tried to create balance with the circular planets/star maps. I drew at it a few times to get it how I liked (I’m a perfectionist). One way to get nice round circles is by using objects around the house (small plate, tin can, cup, etc) and tracing around them. Then comes the fun part- painting!

  I started with a dark blue-black background, then looking at a picture of Aurora Borealis, I just began playing and layering in hopes of it looking right. Once I got frustrated with the sky and had to work on something else, I moved onto the mountains for a while. Using a combination of blue, black, and white, I tried to make nice snowy peaks with hints of dark and light to contrast the bright colored skies. As for the planets, I tried to bring more colors into play (oranges, yellow, greens) to give the piece a celestial feel not entirely realistic.

  This is after a few days of painting and playing around. Wondering why there are still white spots left? Well, those are for the star maps, of course!

  To be continued… I will show you how to touch up the table with sanding and stain, then the final product. Hope you enjoyed this idea, and see that it’s simple to make personal furniture to accent your home.