For the living room, I've decided to share our real time progress instead of finished, styled shots..
Here's our new nesting coffee table!
When thinking about the coffee table for the living room, I wanted something pretty large .. I've always loved the look of marble, so I called a few places and after getting quoted ~$400 .. that wasn't an option. David recommended that I check the materials section on Craigslist and instantly a listing came up for 3 pieces for just $50!! We picked them up and they were perfect - a little chipped on the edges, but not too bad.
It is heavy, so we originally wanted to weld a metal frame .. but since we don't have that equipment readily available and we're on a tight deadline, we decided to stick to wood. Using a hard wood increases the strength.
To make the marble slabs work with our space, we decided to make nesting tables. David and I both worked on design options and David came up with the final design, inspired by this Worlds Away table.
Here's how we did it.
David ripped 3/4" strips of a hard wood (not sure what it is .. it's from my Grandfather's collection). Our Grr-ripper push block came just in time - perfect for cutting small pieces of wood safely.
Then we drilled pocket holes with the Kreg Jig. If you do wood working and don't have one, you need one! We've used it for every wood project since we've gotten it - it's super easy to use, and you get a perfectly hidden pocket hole every time. We applied wood glue and then screwed it together.
Here's the close ups for how we put it together.
For the second table, we wanted something simpler so it 1. Wouldn't look too busy 2. So the tables could sit close together.
Here's a close up of the construction of the straight leg table.
We then sanded it with 120 then 220 and finally 320 grit sandpaper. To seal and protect the wood, we applied a coat of clear furniture wax.
Next, the marble top.
We trimmed the edge with the circular saw with a diamond blade designed to cut stone - I poured water over it while David cut (make sure to wear eye protection, little pieces fly - ear and a respirator should be worn too). Then we cut it entire piece in half (20"x74") so we had 2 ~ 20"x35" pieces. We didn't get a perfect cut .. user error? not enough water? blade error? not sure.
Next, we sanded the edges with the orbital sander, 60 grit, than 120, 220, 320, 420, 600 (final three were hand sanded and wet sanded (sand paper dipped in water) Lets be honest. Sanding is pretty miserable .. especially with a respirator and safety glasses when it's hot. We traded off with the orbital sander and we both worked on hand sanding so it went a little faster.
After 600 grit, the edges felt super smooth! Some of the edges aren't perfect, during cutting, a few areas cut too deep, but that's ok .. I'll take those minor imperfections over paying $400 any day!
To attach the top to the base, we thought about how marble countertops are installed, adhesive! So we picked up a tube of adhesive formulated for marble and applied it along the top of the base - being careful not to get too close to the outer edge.
We centered the top and clamped it in place. (p.s. these clamps are amazing!! super fast and easy to use .. we use them on almost every project now!)
After the adhesive dried, that was it!
Sofa in the background waiting for upholstery!
I love the leg detail - it provides a little interest, but it still lets the marble shine!
Rug is Tahari, found at Home Goods.
We still have to clean and polish the lower nesting table, it has some paint splatters on it ..
I'm also thinking about adding a few moroccan poufs in front .. maybe gold? If you have a gold one, has it held up well?
Total cost was ~$25 since we used the other piece of marble on our sofa table and the wood was free!
Can't wait to finish the rest of our projects for the living room!!
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