Ceramic Tile Table Top Projects

Adding ceramic tiles to an existing wooden table can be a creative way to revive a tired decor. Kitchen tiled tables can be more durable and easier to clean than their traditional wooden counterparts whose porous surfaces trap moisture and food residue, and can trap germs as well. Tiles can be chosen to coordinate with existing decor or as a jumping-off point for a total room redo. Less expensive than many solid stone accents, tiles can nevertheless be used to the same purpose of dressing up an otherwise ordinary piece of furniture by creating a shiny, colorful and durable surface tailored to a homeowner's aesthetic tastes. Does this Spark an idea?

Kitchen Table

Many a basement in America has some form of table that would be suitable to this project. Old wooden pieces whose legs are still sturdy, but whose tops have seen better days can be transformed with a router, tiles, mortar, grout and a little patience. Simply rout out the tabletop to a depth that would accommodate the thickness of the tile, add a mastic or mortar to hold selected tiles in place, and grout around the inserted tiles. Try creating a pattern with custom-made tiles that represent each family member's place at the table.

Coffee Table

Taking about as much wear and tear as a typical kitchen table, is the wooden coffee table. However, adding tile following the method listed above, can once again make your table a safe place to put down a cup of coffee. Existing coffee tables can, of course, be rescued using this model, but unfinished wooden tables can also be purchased at any unfinished furniture store and put to this use. Coffee tables are also a stable of neighborhood garage and yard sales, and can usually be bought and tiled for a mere fraction of what it would cost to buy a tiled table in a retail setting.

Bed Stand

The bedside table is a common place to put glasses of water. Unfortunately, this also means that bedside tables get a fair amount of liquid spilled on them. In past generations, the solution for such an issue was to clad the horizontal surface of the piece in marble or another hard, decorative stone. Tile can as easily be applied to fulfill a similar purpose of adding durability and beauty at the same time.