Library Coffee Table Book
Grimarlon Varner
I loved the design of the apothecary coffee table, but knew a square table would look best in my space. I have a 15 month old son who's toys are always all over our living room so the toy box trundle seemed like a perfect secret storage solution for us. I combined the plans of the apothecary toy box trundle with the library coffee table. The 3 sides are built similar to the sides in the plans for the library table, as well as the table top. The toy box trundle was built according to the plans for the apothecary table except that I made it a very deep drawer 33"X34.5". The table top measures 43.5"X40" This was my first time building a piece of furniture (I've built a chicken coop) and first time using my kreg-jig to make pocket holes. I had a great time building learned a lot. It took me awhile to complete because I was only able to work on it when my son napped.
What a marvellous addition to your coffee table book collection. I remember the first time I learnt of Oleg Cassini from my mum, I fell in love with fashion so early on. I love books like this. Congrats on getting it.
First of all, your photography in this post is stunning. I have never thought of purchasing a fashion/beauty book before, for some reason it has never attracted me. Things have definitely changed now and I am more curious about everything fashion and beauty related.
Build your own coffee table, this free woodworking plan for a square coffee table features six wide drawers perfect for sorting small items. Use it as an office with laptop and office accessories, or use it for board games or as a craft center.
Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!
These are for the drawer slides. Place the 1x3 boards so they are positioned where the screw holes in your drawer slides match, considering your drawer slides will be installed 3/4" inset from the outsides of the 2x2 legs. Nail and glue in place with 1-1/4" brad nails.
I could seriously see making this table with 3 really large flat drawers, rather than the 6 drawers in the plans. Those drawers would be big enough that you could have a jigsaw puzzle going on one drawer, a small train layout on another, and legos on the third--AND be able to shut the drawers and have all of those "messy" things OUT of sight!
Love this coffee table! I would also love to see this as a four drawer. Combine the lower 2 drawers on each side to make 2 deep drawers-one to fit extra blankets and in the 2nd I would put my yoga mat and blocks and hand weights in one (I exercise to dvd's in the living room) and then still have the top drawers-one for magazines and the other for remotes and coasters! Would keep everything hidden!
Awesome piece - thanks so much for sharing. But looking at the plans, it seems like the supplies list and cut list are both off. For example, the plans call for 12 3/4" 2X2 pieces, though the diagram asks for 15 3/4" pieces - not mentioned anywhere in the supplies or cut list. Then it asks for 3 2X2 8 ft pieces. But the diagrams require 8 32" 2X2 pieces and 4 more of the 12 3/4" (or 15 3/4") 2x2s... and if you add up that length, it's longer than 3 8ft 2x2s would give you. Just wanted to figure this out before I ran to the hardware store - or am I just crazy?
However, it has come to my attention that my coffee table book collection is lacking (which is slightly embarrassing to confess on a design blog). I have only a couple design books, a few ones dedicated to artists I admire, and one that is dedicated to paintings of diners across America, but am far from a collector in this genre (nothing compared to my array of fiction). But now as I have progressed through my living and dining room makeover, I realized I need to start acquiring these books for my shelves. I want coffee table books to display as decor, to express my tastes and interests, but I also want them to offer continuous inspiration for my home and my soul.
I just have one burning question: how often do YOU check out your coffee table books? Once a month? Once a week? DAILY?? These books are far from cheap, so do you devour their content or is their presence as decor enough?? I need to know.
2. My Small Space: Starting Out in Style by Anna Ottum: I want this book very badly. I have a small space and love looking at how real people style small spaces so know I will reference it constantly.
8. Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home by Nikki Boyd: For those who love neatly organized and crisp homes, this book will give you all the clean white homes and org porn you crave.
9. Wild Interiors by Hilton Carter: Plant lovers rejoice. Wild Interiors makes me want to become a plant mother who actually knows how to take care of her plant babies. All the interiors in this book are so beautiful and calming.
5. Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone: This absolutely gorgeous book explores real homes and breaks down the details of the rooms and offers helpful tips on how to bring these elevated elements into your own space.
6. Axel Vervoordt: Portraits of Interiors by Michael Gardner: Each page in this book is stunning. It features seventeen homes and demonstrates how Axel Vervoordt incorporates nature, art, and timeless interiors in his designs.
8. Monochrome Home: Elegant Interiors in Black and White by Hilary Robertson: There is nothing boring about a Monochrome Home, trust me. From Emily: This book is STUNNING. Hilary Robertson is a master stylist and editorial storyteller and this book is full of inspiration without any color in a good way.
In addition to design books, I want to incorporate more artistic books in my home as well because I strongly believe that art, fashion, and interior design are extremely intertwined. Here are the ones I have my eye on:
Forgot to note that the home design books by the Monocle Magazine team are also good, but their imagery is smaller than the typical coffee table book because they include so many different properties:
But what has fed my collection is Library Sales. Love them! They typically happen once or twice a year and they sell off older and excess stock. I am very sure that I have never paid more than $2 or $3 for a book that originally sold for $50. I have left with an armful at a time. Those I like, I keep. Some get donated. I have hundreds and love the look of them on my shelves. I stack them horizontally. But not on the coffee table!
There is something known as the "golden ratio" or something like that. It is a ratio that is pleasing to the eye, and used since ancient times. Roughly it is 1 : 1.6. I don't have the exact decimal places off the top of my head (kind of like pi ... 3.14 is probably good enough).
So get the project manager, several cases of beer to set the top on & play around with location, size & heght. (you may need to consume some beer so the table height can be readjusted :-). Now get her to make all the decisions. Write them down, do a drawing & file for later use in the case for the defence.
The only dimension that I've seen pretty consistent is an 18" height (floor to table top). As others have said, LxW is more a function of the size table desired, with width usually >18" and length usually >36". Overhang, skirt size, and whether or not to have a lower table or stretchers is mostly an aesthetic question (with some structural strength issues coming into play).
the ones I have made are usually 18" tall 18" wide at the top and 36" long at the top. Overhangs will generally be about3" on the ends and 2" on the faces If I make them longer than 36? I usually make the tops 1/2 the length. But thats not something firm. I make pieces based on what I have for wood. Let the wood talk to you and tell you the top dimensions ( also the room its going in mingh chime in a bit too) The height is always going to be dictated by the seating surcfaces
If you're going to use color and large type in your signature, would you mind terribly moving it into a signature file? Click on the My Forums button above, click on Preferences, and scroll down till you get to the signature file section. Thanks.
Coffee tables are a newer form of furniture. Versions from the 50ies and 60ies had them at 15 to 16 inches in height. They have slowly being gaining in height since the 70ies. Have yet to see one exceed 18 inches in height ... but it is a new millenium.
I built a couple of ash coffee tables about 2 years ago...they were my first pieces other than bookcases. I looked quite a bit for some standard measurements and came up with very little...Toplin suggested an acceptable range of 16-19"H kinda depending on the height of the sofa. Issues that I believed were important but never able to clarify include top dimensions and thickness...apron size and leg size.
For dimendions I looked to the sofa size...long enough table to accomodate sitters...not so long that walking around becomes obvious. The sitting area of the sofa measured 72", I made the table 50" long by 22" wide by 16" high. Like you, I was planning to use 3" or so legs. To me, I may be wrong, that kinda dictates the apron size and the top thickness. I like to have the apron 1.5 times the thickness of the leg for strength...which gave me an apron of about 4.5". The top is 5/4 with breadboard ends..I think it would look out of balance with a 3/4" top...but 1" might have been enough. I turned the legs which is different than your thinking...but I think you'll need to be careful that your taper is not to aggressive...it might look like it's sitting on pins,
c80f0f1006