DIY Travertine Side Table Dupe
I spotted this travertine side table in an interior designer’s project and hunted it down online only to find that it retails for $10,000-$17,000 online. Yes, you read that right. I loved the texture, color and shape it brought to the room, but I wanted to make it as cheaply as possible so I decided to mimic the travertine using foam.
Inspiration
Materials
Foam rounds
Joint Compound
Foam cylinders (could also use cardboard poster cylinders instead)
Hot Glue
(3) Dowels (optional but can help connect the legs)
How To
Step 1
Round the edges of the foam so everything is smooth.
I tried hand sanding first, but I found it was a lot rougher than my electric sander (my Dremel multi-max) so I recommend that route if you have any kind of electric sander.
Step 2
Coat each disc in joint compound like you’re icing a cake and stack the discs on top of each other. Let dry for at least 24 hours.
The joint compound will both mimic the travertine look and “glue” our discs together. You’ll want it to be thick enough that you have some round to sand it down later. I used almost an entire 1.75 pint (leaving some for the legs later).
Step 3
Once it’s dry, lightly sand to your desired smoothness. In looking at the texture of travertine, there are lots divets and bevels so I left lots of imperfections and even added a few.
Step 4
Create the legs. I used foam cylinders but you could also use poster cardboard cylinder packaging if you have some. Coat them in joint compound and sand.
Step 5
Create a mixture of 1 part water, 1 part glaze and 1 part acrylic paint (I mixed beige and grey). Paint on the table and legs.
Step 6
Secure the legs to the table. I had some leftover dowels from IKEA furniture that I stuck into the foam, and then used hot glue.
Step 7
Seal with paint sealant.
