Reader's Tip: Lake History Under Glass

I’ve found that one of the easiest solutions to dressing up used furniture is to simply slap on a few coats of paint. Recently though, I inherited a glass-top coffee table from my sister on which the parquet veneer under the glass had been discolored and warped by a spilled soda. I didn’t think the paint solution was the right way to go with this particular piece.

Instead, I refinished the table using a mild stripper, followed by stain and polyurethane. That took care of the sheen and the discoloration, but the slight warping still existed. I thought I would never get that table to look right.

My solution was to collect maps and other printed materials related to the lake and slide them under the glass, covering the warped areas. Included is a topographic fishing map, an illustrated history of how the lake was formed (clipped from a trailhead brochure) and an assortment of trail and area maps. Guests love the orientation and perspective it offers them on their visits.

– Theresa Stegemann, via e-mail