DIY Modern Coffee Table That Does Double-Duty As a Footstool?
My family room evokes the Arts & Crafts design period. Natural stone fireplace, leather furniture, natural oak or cherry furniture with right angles, and an antique rocker with hand-carved design elements. A few items bring the outside in, like plants and cast iron critters, for a bit of whimsy and warmth. It’s an inviting room that we spend many hours in.
Sometimes the coffee table is used as a footstool. Sometimes it’s a surface for party appetizers and drinks. Finding a simple, quality coffee table at a reasonable price that would serve both purposes turned out to be quite challenging. I couldn’t use glass (not for a footstool), and most wood options would scratch or wear poorly. A few leading furniture stores had marble-top tables. Although interesting, they weren’t available in the size, strength, and quality I was searching for.
But these marble-top tables gave me an idea.
Put Together Your Own Coffee Table
It’s easy to do. Here are the simple steps:
Visit a local granite supplier that has a remnant yard. You’ll find a ton of granite, quartzite, marble, and quartz options. Boston's remnant pricing is about $50/square foot, including cutting it to size and finishing the four sides. The remnant top surface will already be finished (either polished, leather, or matte), so that’s what you’ll get (you can’t change that cost-effectively.) You’ll also have to pay for waste, so if you like the pattern in the middle of a remnant, you pay for the stone that you waste to get to the section you want. Before doing this, check to see if another remnant of the same stone is available that will require less waste.
I found several remnants I liked at the first supplier I visited and was able to select one fairly quickly. If you find marble or quartzite, know that these are both porous and will require special care. Granite is harder and less porous. Any stone will need a sealant applied occasionally. Spray sealants are available in the cleaning aisle at grocery stores; you can use this as you would use a polish on wood furniture.) I chose a piece of quartzite.
Search for table legs online. Use 20 lbs/square foot as a weight estimate for stone. Make sure the legs you choose can support the total square footage weight.
You’ll find a range of options. I purchased a set of heavy steel legs from KubieSteelCo, a 5-star rated Etsy site. The design included a crossbar with screw holes across the top of each leg. This offered a wide surface for using epoxy in addition to the screws for maximum hold. I could have saved money by going with a larger commercial brand sold on Amazon, but I preferred the subtle difference in design the Etsy craftsman offered. His response to my questions was timely and thorough. Plus, I’d rather purchase from a small business even if I spend a bit more.
I delivered the legs to the granite vendor, and they screwed them to the tabletop. They also added epoxy for extra rigidity. Depending on the size of your table and leg design, you might be able to use epoxy only.
One Mistake You Don’t Want To Make
The vendor estimated the tabletop weighed about 220 lbs. So I had them load the table into my car, and I drove home with it. In my head, 220 lbs. didn’t sound all that heavy. Not true! That’s actually pretty heavy! The two men in my house, who both have back issues, didn’t want to lift it.
So the vendor sent their team to move it from my car to the family room for $150. I never even thought to ask about delivery.
Why I Like This DIY Project
You create a one-of-a-kind piece in the exact size and stone you want.
Granite is non-porous and very durable against stains and scratches. Quartzite and marble are more porous. There are many, many stone choices out there that will work.
The new table works well for drinks and appetizers and can be used as a footstool (socks only) as well.
It’s not a difficult project to complete.
My table surface is 32” x 53”. I used 16” high table legs. The total cost was about $1K ($750 for supplies + $150 for delivery). With different legs, I could have reduced the total cost to $900 (I was picky about a design detail that others may not notice).
I could not find an exact product comparison. However, Pompanoosuc Mills solid oak or cherry coffee tables (22” x 42”) were $1K or more. Two marble-top 25” round nesting tables from Pottery Barn were $999. I got almost twice the size of these tables for approximately the same price.
