Building Your Own Coffee Table - Tips For Choosing the Right Wood

 

Tips for buying a coffee table

Many people love building items with their own hands and one such item is the ever present in our home, the coffee table. Before, the coffee table was just what it is, a furniture for resting your coffee, other beverages, and food.

One reason why this furniture has become a staple in homes today is the fact that many wonderful memories become associated with this piece of furniture. That's just the emotional aspect behind this kind of table's popularity.

When it comes to making your living room pop out, cocktail tables are the best furniture to use. As such many producers have pushed the limits of designing such tables such that these days we see tables other than wood being sold.

However let us not discount that there are those who would rather make their own table for their favorite Java beans using wood as their material for construction. When making a coffee table made from wood, it would certainly be confusing as there are many types of wood out there.

To help you decide, you must first consider the existing furniture and the general theme of your house. Your table shouldn't clash with the existing otherwise you end up making something you're not going to use.

When thought out carefully, this type of table becomes the focal point of your living room especially if the table is made of the right materials. Therefore the next thing to consider is whether you're going to use hardwood or softwood.

The general rule is if the table will be used quite a lot such as when you entertain guests constantly, you live with kids, or you plan a wood base under a stone table top, you have pets, or plan to pass the table to future generations; you must avail of hardwood such as oak, maple and cherry. But if the table will be used as accent or decorative pieces then softwood such as pine will do.

If you have pets, don't use softwood because stains, scratches, and dents show more easily. You are better off with hardwood because they are naturally resistant to stains and dents and this ability is even strengthened with the proper application of chemicals that protect wood finish.

Think of the type of finish you would like your coffee table to have once it is completed. Would you like to have it painted or stained? You can also decoupage your table after either staining or painting to create truly unique furniture.

Different types of wood will look differently depending on the type of finish you are aiming for. If you plan on painting the whole table with a single solid color, pine wood will respond to this the best however wood with a strong and beautiful grain such as oak, maple, and cherry are better off stained because over time, with proper care and maintenance tables made from these types of wood will grow more beautiful.

One more thing to think about is whether you can afford such type of wood or not due to the fact that different types of wood cost differently. For instance if you take into account wood grade, of course high grade will cost more than low-grade because it doesn't have dents, and discoloration. Also hardwood is more expensive as they last longer than softwood.

Lastly, you must consider where you're going to source the wood for your coffee table. Are they readily available from your local supplier? Are there enough stocks for a repeat order? You may be buying the same type of wood but if they don't belong to the same batch of stocks, there might be slight variations in color.