Ava and I typically spend a fair amount of time finding items for the house. We start with an idea of what we are looking for, usually a specific design with function! If it doesn't function, it's not worth it.
For more than 12 years, I've had a lift top coffee table that is VERY functional. We use it for
dinner in front of the TV and laptop use on the sofa. The old table was given a new life 4 years ago when I refinished it with a mahogany stain.
After a new sofa, new entertainment unit, and art for our living room, we were having a hard time finding a modern table that still had a lift top with a storage area. I found a Room & Board stainless steel base that worked, so it was time to build what we wanted. It took a lot longer than I expected, but we're happy with the results.
I used birch plywood with birch veneer edging to cover up the visible plywood layers. The corners are glued and dowel joined. I had to rig up some brackets to hang the wood box from the base frame. The lift-top mechanism was harvested from our old table, but the springs were too strong for the new top. I was able to remove the old springs and install a weaker spring (who would have thought Home Depot sold springs).
I also made a table top for a matching console table frame, which will sit behind our sofa for a living room desk area.
See the Photo Album of the full set of photos of the project.
