Before and After: Giant Whiteboard Table

Ohdeedoh reader Amanda loved the bones of her old kitchen table, but she wasn't such a fan of the table's finish. When its age started to really show, and the cracks and peeling finish got to be too much, Amanda took a bold step. Rather than relegate the table to the basement or the alley, she got a can of whiteboard paint and turned her humble table into an awesome gigantic whiteboard for her kids to doodle on while waiting for meals. See the transformation after the jump...

Amanda first primed the table, then used a foam roller to apply whiteboard paint on the table top. She painted the table legs a deep espresso to match her chairs. She tells us:

The whiteboard paint dries really hard and gives a great scrubbable surface but also amuses the children as well. We keep a bucket of whiteboard markers on it now and the kids can doodle while they're waiting for dinner.

See more photos on Amanda's blog Geek Details.

Comments (15)

What a wonderful idea! Way to recycle!

posted by aspenchick on June 8th 2009 at 3:42pm
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Genius. I have an old dining table that is way past its prime. This might be a great idea to give us some more life (and a lot more style!) out of it before we invest in a grown-up dining room table and chairs. (That purchase is on hold, though, until everyone in our house is old enough to use a fork solely for eating and not for perforating the table.)

posted by Daffodil on June 8th 2009 at 3:43pm
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I love the idea and the look, but I have to wonder how much the whiteboard markers get all over the kids' sleeves. How is it panning out?

posted by Swordspoint on June 8th 2009 at 4:35pm
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This is exactly what I'm going to do! I don't have kids (yet) but I just inherited a great long white desk from my mom that we used to draw all over. I'm going to use it downstairs for sewing/projects, and having it be whiteboard is a GREAT idea, much cleaner than a chalk board.

posted by strongodares on June 8th 2009 at 4:43pm
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Wow, simply amazing!

Yet I'm also curious about the marker getting on the back of arms and sleeves. How's it working out?

posted by Somethingpi on June 8th 2009 at 6:15pm
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Thanks for posting about my table! So far my children haven't damaged any clothing while using the table, but they're also 6 and 9. Inebriated adults on the other hand...

Aside from the kids using it, it also works well for card/board game night too because you can keep score on the table.

posted by Geek Details on June 8th 2009 at 11:08pm
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Love the idea and I love the Threadless art on the walls! I have that t-shirt :)

posted by SpaceMonkeyX on June 9th 2009 at 9:06am
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This is the greatest idea! This would make the best pictionary table ever. Thanks for the idea :)

posted by Jennlm on June 9th 2009 at 9:52am
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Love this!

posted by yukonmama on June 9th 2009 at 11:51am
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Love love love love.
I actually have my moms old wood table in my dining room that I have been planning on painting glossy white for a while. I recently even bought the materials but before could get started I learned I was pregnant with my second. Now when I do get to this project, - (sometime on maternity leave maybe?) I am TOTALLY gonna do this!
Thanks!!

posted by teeze on June 9th 2009 at 11:56am
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I think that there are whiteboard crayons. I have seen them online. I'm trying to get some for my younger kids who have problems with the markers (and I don't always enjoy the smell).

this is a great idea. I had no idea there was whiteboard paint!!

posted by Jlin on June 9th 2009 at 4:47pm
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I think the table looks great. My question would be if kids write on this table will they think all tables are a writable surface. I guess you would really need to explain the difference and why.

posted by LoriSF on June 9th 2009 at 5:33pm
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So it's been about seven months since I did that table and although it looks pretty in pictures, it looks horrible in person. The paint DID NOT hold up well at all. We're currently sanding down the table because it's so yellowed and cracked etc that it makes me want to cry looking at it. I would not EVER use that paint product again. It did not age well and is a PIA to remove from whatever you put it on. Horribly horribly disappointed would be putting it mildly

posted by Geek Details on December 29th 2009 at 7:48pm
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Ah, the ugly truth of DIY finally rears it's ugly head! ;)

posted by patrick (the other one) on December 29th 2009 at 7:51pm
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I think it was a neat idea in theory but the Rustoleum whiteboard paint is just not a good product. I posted after photos on my blog though so that my ugly DIY can serve as a warning. BAD PAINT BAD!

http://geekdetails.com/blog/?p=2089

posted by Geek Details on December 30th 2009 at 10:41am
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