Little Tables for Little Spaces
by Michelle Considine
I love coffee. It’s useful to have places to set my coffee cup, and I prefer it when these places have character. This article features a couple of little tables made from weathered wood from Resource Central, the best place to get wood with character!
Table 1
Note, the ukelele is much smaller than a guitar! This table pictured above is only 19 inches tall and measures 19 x 13 inches on top.
All of the perfectly weathered wood for this table was purchased from Resource Central. The legs are made from rounded landscape timbers and the top from two sections of a non-standard (probably old) board. To put them together, I used hex lag screws from the top and some support from the bottom (detailed in the photos). As you can see in the photos to the left, Resource Central has plenty of rounded timbers, beautifully weathered and loaded with character!
If you suspect you might be working with lead-based paint, take appropriate precautions. Lead test kits are available at hardware stores. If you opt to not check old paint for lead, then assume it is lead-based. There are a miriad of online resources about working around lead-based paint.
Table 2
Having a place to set your coffee or chamomile tea by the bed is handy. A place to keep your math and logic puzzles is essential! Though this room has very little floor space, the built-in table fits nicely. Its top is only 7 x 14 inches and it stands only 20 inches tall. The photos below reveal that it is basically made of two 2×4’s standing up with the green board across the top. The door covers most of the frontal area, however, notice that the bottom lateral piece of wood is actually part of the frame, not the door. The back is the room’s wall with a support board running across, as shown in the photos. The bed is recessed back behind the protruding closet.
When you notice places in your space that could use furniture to meet a specific need (such as a place to set you mug or a place to store stuff) consider the supplies you could find at Resource Central. Sometimes little tables made out of weathered lumber are perfect, but, depending on your needs, starting with a cabinet might be better. Have fun combining the ideas from this blog (on furniture made out of upcycled kitchen cabinets) and today’s blog. Enjoy the process of optimizing use and enjoyability of your space!
Michelle Considine, long time enthusiast of Boulder’s Resource Central and, more recently, Art Parts, volunteers for these organizations with the intention of promoting reuse and creativity. Aside from being an environmentalist and upcycling artist of many mediums, Michelle privately tutors high school math and physics in the Boulder area as well as online, hikes year-round, and loves time with her family and friends.
