I was going through some magazines and cutouts I have put aside for inspiration and I stumbled across this picture from the Holiday 2003 Crate and Barrel catalogue. I remember so vividly how I fell head over heels in love with this console table and how I swore I’d have one as soon as I got my own place.

Then things happened, like the fact that we don’t have an entryway or any other place in our small apartment where we could put such a piece of furniture. But the design is so beautiful, so simple and practical, that a decade and a half later I decided to make a coffee table version of this same design for ourselves.

I started playing with the proportions and came up with a rough sketch of what I wanted. Then that rough sketch turned into a technical drawing of sorts. When done I headed to the lumberyard, borrowed my uncle’s circular saw and was covered in sawdust before I knew it.

Find the pdf version of this technical drawing on the Printables page.

I wish I’d have some pictures of the process itself for you! Thing is, though Mr.AP is THE biggest supporter of all my (often pretty crazy) DIY ideas, he cannot get used to the idea of me operating heavy machinery. He fears for the life of me fingers.

But to give you an idea, I cut 5 pieces of wood for each set of the legs. There are three individual legs that are held together by the top. This is made of two pieces joined together in a T-shape. I drilled a couple of holes, put in some screws, did a bit of sanding and varnished the legs a nice walnut color. Repeating these steps I ended up with the two sets of table legs.

We were debating the shape of the glass, however, we quickly realized that a glass with square corners would be too sharp for safety. So we ended up with the corners rounded off.

We love this table so much! It is perfect for our small home as it is airy and light. Visually it does not add any bulk to the apartment whatsoever. Rather, with its see through top and sparsely spaced legs it almost feels like there’s nothing in the living room. What I did not expect is how dramatically different the table can look when I simply switching the legs around. So as an added bonus we can alter the mood and feel of our room with just a quick switch of the legs.

Another feature I love is how quickly it can be taken apart. If we are ever in need of a bigger space and the table is in the way (like when I am doing yoga) it can be taken apart in seconds. Since the individual pieces that make up the table are light and small, they can be taken to a different location without a problem.

So if you see something out there that you like, but either it does not fit into your budget, or it is no longer available, or the idea would need a little adapting for your circumstances think outside the box! A good plan, a bit of imagination, time and some wood could give you the loveliest of surprises. And I promise, a circular saw is not as scary as it looks! In fact, it is quite fun.