As a renter, saving money wherever possible is paramount. Did you know a great way to get cost-effective furniture is to build it yourself? Bonus – it helps make your rental apartment uniquely your own and provides a creative conversation starter when you have visitors, too!
You: But, how?
Us: We’ll show you!
Building furniture can seem like a daunting, complicated, and out of reach task. It’s easy to come up with a plethora of excuses and instead take the one-stop-shop trip to IKEA and have your living room completed in a single afternoon. But where’s the fun in that? Chloe, a recent architect graduate, told those excuses where to go…and the result was beautiful!
As a crafty and creative young woman with an eye for design, Chloe set out to build herself a coffee table. Using simple materials and a basic saw, she created something she can cherish for years to come. Because of this, her one-of-a-kind coffee table has become a staple piece that makes her rental truly feel like home.
Love the craftsmen design and industrial vibe of Chloe’s coffee table? Here’s how you can get the look!
1. Choose Your Slab
Chloe opted for a live-edge look, but there are plenty of different lumber cuts to choose from to match your apartment style.
Here are the best places to shop for your slab and help you get started:
You can purchase the table legs at any of these stores as well! Purchase new or grab a 2×4 that you can cut to size later.
2. Gather Your Tools
While you’re out selecting your wood, remember to pick up nails, a hammer, a saw and wood glue if you don’t already have them on hand. Oh, and a level, too (unless you want to add a touch of character like Chloe did! ????). If you’re going to add a stain or paint the wood afterwards, now would be a good time to pick this up as well.
What You’ll Need:
- Nails
- Hammer
- Saw
- Wood glue
- Tape measure
3. Saw, Cut & Hammer Away!
Ok, it’s time. You have your materials and you’re now prepared to begin.
Step 1: Lay your slab flat on the ground, top down.
Step 2: Measure the length of the table leg to determine the height of your coffee table. Roughly 17 inches is what you should be aiming for to create a comfortable knee-height. Use the saw to cut the legs to size.
Step 3: Attach the legs about 1 inch from either side of the slab using the hammer and nails to connect them. Repeat at both ends of the table slab, so you’ll end up with two legs on each end.
Step 4: You can either stop here as the table will be able to support the slab or continue to match Chloe’s design by adding another piece of 2×4 between the table legs. Cut to size, it should fit snuggly in-between each leg. Attach using the wood glue and let completely dry.
Step 5: If you’re opting to paint or stain your table, now’s the time! Be sure to properly prep the table and sand as needed.
Check out Chloe’s table in the video below!
Who’s ready to start building? If you make your own coffee table, we would love to see it! Show it off by tagging us using #MyHollyburn on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
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