DIY $20 Carrara Marble Accent Table

When we first bought our house, we drove up to MA from NYC for three weekends in a row to paint the entire house, including the master bathroom. We knew we wanted all of the painting done before we moved in, and that we had to work fast, especially given our limited time in the house to actually paint. We were fortunate that Brian's very large family (all of whom live in MA) offered to come over and help us paint. I can't imagine how long it would have taken us if we were goin it alone. 

We going for a pale grayish/purple "spa" color for our master bathroom. We quickly chose all of the paint without sampling first, and, (surprise surprise) the bathroom color is too bold and is definitely not spa-like in any shape of the word. But we can totally live with it for now. We have too many other projects on our list to work on, and I would really like to get most of the first floor projects completed before moving upstairs. And to be fair, the bathroom doesn't look Barney purple and it's not awful....it's just not what we want so eventually it will be updated....along with a new glass stand up shower, separate tub and carrara marble floor and tiling. Ahhh, wishful thinking. :-) Here are just a few inspiration pictures of what our future bathroom will look like (pic #2 is my fave!!!):

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

So in case I haven't already mentioned in my first post (and you can't tell by my inspiration pics), I have an obsession with carrara marble. (And white kitchens with carrara - but that is a future BIG post). And bathrooms with carrara marble. And basically any other place it can be used, I am all for. I reasoned that even if we aren't doing a big update to our master for a while, there are still small, inexpensive ways I can update our bathroom.

For instance, my 2nd inspiration pic above includes a small accent table near the tub. If you have space for an accent table, I really like the idea of using a small table to hold your decorative bathroom sundries and accessories that you don't necessarily want cluttering your bathroom vanity. It's also an easy way to update your look by bringing in colorful, beautiful accessories...think bath salts in glass bottles, shells in an apothecary vase, or even a simple arrangement of flowers to add some beauty to the bathroom. Here is another example of accent table beautifying a bathroom:

Decor Pad

Because our bathroom is a decent size and a table wouldn't look cluttered in our bathroom, I decided an accent table would be a great way to update our bathroom. So, I began checking stores (online and in person) for ideas and prices. Here are several examples of bathroom tables available at Pottery Barn:

Pottery Barn



Pottery Barn

The first table is a $399 (ouch) carrara-marble topped accent table. I think it's a beautiful piece, and it could be used in many other ways, such as a small entry way table, night stand, etc. But $400 was definitely out of my budget for this purchase. The second table is half the price at $199, but it is still more than I want to spend. I like that this table is open so it gives the illusion of not taking up as much space. After checking out a few other stores, I decided I could make such a table for much less than I'd have to spend in a store AND I could combine my favorite elements of both tables (carrara top with an open base). Yes, please!

Thinking back on our many trips to Home Depot (where I'd always wander into the tile section to check out the marble), I recalled that I could purchase an individual 12x12" square tile of marble for around $5. Now I realize these tiles are typically used for flooring, but I decided it would be the perfect size to top my accent table!! An additional note on the tile I selected - I am not sure if it is specifically carrara, as I know there are different variations that look similar...but it had the look I wanted (white marble with gray veining) and that was good enough for me!! Here's her closeup:

My next stop was TJ Maxx. This store always seems to have a supply of unique end tables, accent tables and even plant stands....so I figured this would be the place for me! Plus it's only a mile down the road from our Home Depot. TJ Maxx didn't disappoint, and I ended up finding a table (I believe it was a plant stand?) for only $14.99. Granted the color wasn't right - it was a bronze/brown....which can be pretty, but it didn't match the look I was going for. This time last year, I might have just walked away from that table. But, since becoming homeowners (and thanks to my Mom!) I have discovered the joy and insane powers of spray paint to transform virtually any object. I knew I could easily spray this table in Krylon's brushed metallic nickel shade and it would become the look I was looking for.

I wish I had taken a before shot of the table to show the original color, but here it is after the paint dried:

 I used my trusty hot glue gun to adhere the tile to the top of the table. There are probably better, stronger ways to adhere the tile, but my glue gun hasn't let me down yet!  About 5 minutes later, my $20, marble-topped bathroom accent table was finished!

 This was an incredibly easy project and I am really happy with the results!!! It gives me my carrara fix and is just enough to tide me over while we save our pennies for the big bathroom rehaul. I tried the table in both the left and right corner and ultimately left it on the left side...in case you are noticing the different locations of the table.

As for accessorizing the table, because it only provides storage on the top, and the table top is small, I knew I could only use a few select items so it wouldn't look cluttered. I settled on my favorite cake batter scented candle, a bar of Pure Fiji's soap ( we fell in love with their products while on our honeymoon), washcloth and a beautiful and sentimental seashell (also discovered on our honeymoon by my husband).

Final side note - prior to this project, I owned a white accent table (basically identical to the $399 Pottery Barn version) except mine doesn't have a marble top - it is the same white finish as the entire piece. I purchased the table at the Christmas Tree Shop for under $30. We have a small entry way so I have been using this table in that space. When I bought the tile for the bathroom accent table, I picked up an additional tile to try topping this table. Unfortunately, the 12x12" tile was just a hair too short to completely cover the base so I had to return the tile. Right now I have a carrara tray resting on top of the table along with a vase (which will soon be replaced after I finally pack away my winter decorations next week).

And a few more pics for fun:

Here's my helper, Kaylee. It's quite possible she may end up in every post on this blog....just keeping it real. :-)

And here's a cool shot that shows off our wedding canvas in the hallway that leads from our entry way into the kitchen. I love this picture and can't wait to post recaps, along with tutorials, from our wedding.

If I could find a slightly larger tile I would definitely pull out my glue gun to spruce up this table, as well! Anyone out there know of anywhere to purchase individual tiles in a variety of sizes (larger than 12x12"?)

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