The coffee table is essentially the heart of the home in our house, though our kitchen island comes in at a close second. Having such a key component be both good looking and super chic makes me love this project so very much. Go forth and add some heart to your home…
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase on the site or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. If you are a blogger and you post about your build, don’t forget to include a link to your post on your showcase here. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
- Tape Measure
- Saw – Jig Saw, Circular, Table, or Miter Saw
- Drill
- Multi-Square and Carpenter’s Square
- Sander
- Kreg Jig – if you build frequently, invest in this one.
- Nail Gun – optional
- Router with Patterning bit – or bit set – optional
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 4’x8’
- 1 – 1×2 at 8’
- 1 – 1/4” thick Glass or Plexiglas at 3’x3’
- 1-1/4″ Pocket Hole Screws
- 1-1/4″ Wood Screws
- Countersink Drill Bit
- Pocket Hole Plugs – Paint Grade, Pine, Oak – optional
- Clamps
- Safety Gear
- 3/4″ Edge Banding – optional
- Wood Filler
- Wood Glue
- Sanding Supplies
- Paste Wax
- Finishing Supplies
- 2 – 3/4” plywood at 16”x21” – Long Panels
- 4 – 3/4” plywood at 16”x17” – Short Panels
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 27-3/4”x36-1/8” – Bottom
- 2 – 1×2 at 18” – Long Cleats
- 4 – 1×2 at 14” – Short Cleats
- 1 – 1/4” thick Glass or Plexiglas 27-1/2”x35-3/4”- Top
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut the pieces for the two Long Panels and four Short Panels. The sides of the Panels will be cut at a 60-degree angle as shown. For the interior cuts, start at the inside corner of the cut-out and drill a hole slightly larger than the blade of the jigsaw. Insert the jigsaw blade and make the cut. Apply edge banding, if desired, to the cut-out edges. With the Kreg jig set for 3/4” material, drill pocket holes along the inside of each left and right side of one of the Long Panels and two of the Short Panels. Assemble as shown with glue and 1-1/4” Pocket Hole Screws.
Cut the piece for the Bottom. With the Kreg jig set for 3/4” material, drill pocket holes along each side of the Bottom. With the pocket holes facing the ground, assemble as shown with glue and 1-1/4” Pocket Hole Screws.
Cut the pieces for the Long and Short Cleats. Attach to the inside edges, centered, of the Panels as shown with glue and 1-1/4” Wood Screws. This plan uses 1/4” thick glass for the Top, so the Cleats will be positioned 1/4” from the top of the Panels.
Cut the piece for the Top. Assemble as shown.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
