It's amazing how a little TLC and some paint can transform a piece of furniture from "okay to feed the cats on" to "looks great in the living room." :D

We didn't have a coffee table right before the kid was born and were too poor to even think about buying one. Someone gave us a junk one with some rust on the metal legs and a scratched mahogany top. After a little Brillo on the legs and two coats of cordovan shoe polish on the top, we used it with pride for years.