mayanrocks.com » DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table.
DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table.
Posted on March 13th, 2014 in design, DIY, furniture, home

DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table
DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table
DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table
DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table

(As featured on Buzzfeed, Elle Greece, Marie Claire France, Diply, How To Build It, Nouvelle Daily, Oh So Lovely Blog, List Inspired, Roomed, and Lighter Side of Real Estate)

I’m obsessed with all things Mid-Century modern, and when I saw this Co-Mod side table, I knew that I needed it in my life. But it was $345. And sold out. And $345. I felt like that needed to be mentioned twice.

Because I’ve mastered the art of assembling Ikea furniture (and tested many friendships along the way), I thought that I should try building this side table myself. I went to Home Depot, showed them a photo on my phone and was basically like, “HOW YOU DO DIS?” If you act like you don’t know what you’re doing (or you’re like me and you legitimately do not know what you’re doing), the good people at Home Depot will help you. They will tell you what paint brush you should use to apply clear coat. They will tell you what clear coat is. They will even cut your wood down to the exact size that you need at no extra charge.

Building this side table was easier than assembling an Ikea sectional sofa!

MATERIALS & TOOLS:

  • 1 – 1″x8″-10′ common board ($14)
  • 1 – 1″x6″-6′ common board ($4)
  • Wood Stain – I used Minwax Gel Stain in Hickory
  • Clear Coat – I used Minwax Polycrylic in Clear Satin
  • 16 – 1.75″ nails
  • 4 – Mid-Century modern legs – I used 12″ hairpin legs ($61)
  • Sandpaper
  • Hammer
  • Power drill

CUT LIST:

  • 1″x8″-10′ common board – 4 pieces that are cut 20″ long
    (the top & bottom boards)
  • 1″x6″-6′ common board – 2 pieces that are cut 14.5″ long
    (the side boards)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Sand your boards. I used 150 grit sandpaper and sanded in the direction of the grain until it felt smooth. After your boards are sanded, wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove excess sawdust before staining them. This is probably something you should do outdoors in a well-ventilated area and not inside your 400 square foot studio during the only weekend it rains in Los Angeles. I still have sawdust in places I didn’t know I could get sawdust.
  2. Stain your boards. Use gloves unless you want to have to keep explaining to everyone why your hands are brown for the next three days. You can use an old t-shirt, or if you’re a hoarder like me and can’t bear to part with your ‘I ♥ Haters’ shirt, you can get a pack of paint rags from Home Depot for $4 and use those instead. I used one to apply the stain to the wood and one to wipe off the excess. It dries pretty fast, so I was able to coat all sides without waiting. I only applied one coat, but you can apply more if you want it darker. Let the boards dry completely.
  3. Apply clear coat. I applied it to one side of the boards using a synthetic paint brush. Give it a couple hours to dry, then turn your boards over and apply it to the other side.
  4. Assemble your side table. Use two 20″ boards for the bottom, two 20″ boards for the top, and the remaining 14.5″ boards for the sides. Here’s a helpful diagram:
    DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table
  5. Nail the two top boards to the long edge of the side boards, and repeat on the bottom. Use two nails on each end of each board as pictured. I had someone hold the boards together for me while I hammered away.
  6. Mount the legs. I set the legs 2″ from the edges and marked where the screws would go. I pre-drilled pilot holes and screwed the legs on with sixteen 3/4″ screws. Depending on what kind of legs you buy, you might have a different method for attaching them.

You can build your own Mid-Century modern inspired side table for roughly $78 (for just the wood and the hairpin legs, if you happen to have the other materials). You really can’t beat that price or the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel after building something with your bare, wood-stained hands.

DIY Mid-Century Modern Side Table

Other things pictured:
Painted succulent pots designed by me (DIY tutorial here)
Task lamp from Target
Beyoncé print designed by me (sold on Etsy)
Bedding from Anthropologie
Bed from West Elm (discontinued!)

mayanrocks.com




52 Comments

  1. Aj was all like...

    Amazing!

    March 13th, 2014 | #

  2. Shi was all like...

    Ridiculously awesome. Seriously.

    March 14th, 2014 | #

  3. Pammie was all like...

    Ditto what Shi said! I just showed Amy and you might have some requests sent your way!

    March 14th, 2014 | #

  4. mayan was all like...

    March 16th, 2014 | #

  5. Ellen was all like...

    I really love your table, and I think I’ll try one myself. Buuuut, also, do you remember where you got the lamp?! I want!

    January 25th, 2015 | #

  6. mayan was all like...

    thanks, ellen! i got the task lamp at target, but it’s discontinued now.

    pottery barn teen sells a similar one:
    http://www.pbteen.com/products/penn-task-lamp/

    January 25th, 2015 | #

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  9. Nouvelle Daily | was all like...

    […] Mid-Century Table Mid-century is the furniture trend of the moment, and this little DIY brings the dream alive at a fraction of the cost. Easy to put together and totally customisable – those legs could definitely be metallic! […]

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  11. Nicole was all like...

    FYI, you can get hairpin legs at Rockler for cheaper 🙂 http://www.rockler.com/i-sembletrade-hairpin-table-legs

    July 2nd, 2015 | #

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  43. Julie was all like...

    Very cute!! I want to try to make a double one (2 boxes) for a TV stand.
    My question is What exactly is Common Board?

    September 25th, 2017 | #

  44. mayan was all like...

    thanks, julie!

    here’s a link to the common board i bought from home depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-8-in-x-8-ft-Premium-Kiln-Dried-Square-Edge-Whitewood-Common-Board-914835/100065210

    it’s basically wood you can use for carpentry, hobbies, furniture, shelving, and general finish work. it’s easy to glue, nail, sand and stain!

    September 25th, 2017 | #

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