Join me in welcoming Bryan, our newest FT contributor! I'm loving his clever commentary and the fact that he saw what he wanted and made it happen, literally. ~Jonna
C-tables are easy to fall in love with. After house sitting for a friend who owned a couple of these Crate and Barrel C-tables, my girlfriend and I really wanted them.
The combination of functionality and style of this piece is tough to beat. The obvious advantage of a C-table is that its base can be slid under a couch or chair so that the table top hangs right over your lap. No more hunching over your old coffee table like a neanderthal. You can sit upright like a well mannered gent, or lean back like a gangsta. Either your crumpets or drug money will be hovering right over your lap within easy reach. This table is very light and can slide easily over carpet or wood. What surprised me is how sturdy it is. Don't be fooled by the delicate look, you can really put some weight on it.
Now on to the important part.... Looks. The tubular steel frame and sharp edges are modern and architectural. The footprint and profile are very light and easy on the eyes. Not bold enough to be a focal point but a great piece to compliment a room without adding bulk. (That was a sad attempt at a Tim Gunn style fashion critique. Thanks for bearing with me.)
So, I decided to get two of these tables as a gift for my girlfriend's birthday. But here is the rub. The sexiest tables are sold at Crate and Barrel for....drum roll please..... $299 a pop! Say WHAT? That's right, assuming you want two tables you are looking at about 6 hundo plus tax. That's a lot of money. But the tables looked simple enough to make. Why not give it a shot?
Since I am not the craftiest person I asked my Dad to help me make the tables. He was a big help and had all the tools we needed (including a welder, skill saw and grinder) and a plan.
The dimensions were randomly selected to be roughly 20" long x 10" wide x 24" tall. Only by chance did these dimensions correspond exactly to the Crate and Barrel C-table dimensions ;) Next we bought 1 inch square tubular steel and cut it to the appropriate lengths using a table saw and beveled the ends as needed. The pieces were clamped to a work bench and wielded together to create the frame. As my Dad was welding, I was using a grinder to smooth out the wields and splatter to ensure no blemishes would show once we were finished.
A 20" x 10" piece of sheet metal was wielded to the top of the frame to form the table surface.
Now for the final touch. Powder Coat. I took them to RW Little in San Diego and they did a great job. I chose flat black and I am happy I did. They turned out great and the total cost was under $100.
This was a really fun project and the end result was very rewarding. The C-tables made a nice gift and my girlfriend absolutely loves them.
