First question, is 12″ too long/short for coffee table legs? Should I measure the average family member shin height and make it that?
On my (12″) practice legs I’ve got a taper on two ajoining sides. Should those tapered sides go on the outside or inside?
Are tapers designed to draw the eyes up to the top? Or do tables just look better with tapered legs?
If you have tapers going in, does that keep toes from getting whacked?
-Ken (Palmyra, Nebraska)
Replies
Ken,
The height of a coffee table is inversely proportional to the size of the coffee cup which will sit on the table.
Seriously, the size is fairly arbitrary, in my opinion. It really depends upon the surrounding furniture, room, design, etc. I work with roughly that height here in Japan because the "coffee" table here often doubles as the dining table as most people prefer to sit on the floor to dine.
As for the tapers, place the tapers on the inside. Attatched is a low table I did a while back with tapered legs. (note that thru the miracle of modern science ie., Photoshop software, the sideboard in the background has been cut out. <g>)
Scott
Darn..that table looks very similar to mine...what kinda wood? I turned 3.5" legs and put a 2" bread board closed both ends.
You taper to add grace ...so they say...and on the inside. My coffee table is 16" overall height...
BG
It's Port Orford cedar with stain followed with sprayed poly finish. Kinda soft for a table (the wood, that is) but that's the combination the client wanted.
Scott
All the coffee tables I've made have been higher than 12" but that's not to say that a shorter table won't fit your purposes. Unless you are mass producing there is no standard height, size, color, etc.
As to taper or not to taper........that is your individual design choice. I would recommend that you not look to find any standard there nor any "recommendation." Draw the table in elevation with various leg styles and see what you prefer. If you're still not sure you can cut a leg shape out of 1/4" ply or cardboard, stand it up next to your table top and take a gander. I use this method on nearly all the tables, chairs, newals....that I make to give myself every chance to get a feel for the final product. Of course all this applies to custom work where the client (who might be yourself) must be satisfied. In production work, you seek to satisfy the largest cross section of your market. Then and only then would standards need to be considered.
Sorry, this probably wasn't the answer you are looking for, but if you learn to rely on YOUR judgement, then you will have to make your choices.
Ken,
I agree with what the others are advising..there doesn't appear to be any set standards...guess that is because the colonials didn't make coffee tables.
There is the Greek ratio stuff and I think Rev captured those ratios well in his coffee table. If you want to apply those concepts to leg length then you need to choose either an arithmetic or geometric progression. So with Rev's coffee table you might see that the thickness of the table top times three is equal to the apron...and the legs are three times the apron ... that would b an arithmetic progression. For a geometric, it might be the table top thickness plus 3" equals the apron, and the legs are the apron plus 3x3 in length. It appears you can make the leg length anything you want as long as it is in ratio to the other parts.
Of course, you may not care if the Greeks like your table or not.....lol
I would say that table height will probably look best when it is equal to the height of the sofa seat which is about 19". 12" would be like an oriental table and certainly would look strange in a typical American living room.
I assume that you're tapering only two sides of the legs? I always put the tapers facing out because that is where the profile is most visible. You could eliminate the question by tapering all four sides.
You may find that tapers don't add all that much esthetically to a very short table leg as they do for a taller table. I just did a short end table using hexagonal legs that looked great. Very easy to make by cutting off the corners of square stock.
Just be sure that when you do your final sawing that the you get the grain face for all four legs the same. I recently screwed up by having face grain on one front leg and edge grain on the other. Didn't look too cool.
Dave of Fla.
Some good ideas so far... here's my on take on the "which side to taper" issue:
If the table legs are thin in proportion to the table, I generally taper the insides (or all four sides, depending on the piece). Tapering just the outsides of thin legs, to my eyes, makes the table look knock-kneed and unstable. I'm currently working on a demilune table with legs tapered on all four sides.
On the other hand, if the legs are fairly substantial compared to the rest of the table, I may taper the outside edges. Depending upon the style/inspiration, square or rectangular legs can look blocky. Tapers on the insides will work, too, but again, as mentioned above, it has to fit the "look." I'm also currently working on a fairly large, square coffee table with a glass-topped display cabinet for a rock collection. Because it started to look really chunky with thick square legs, I've tapered the outsides to add some "lightness" to the table without sacrificing strength.
As has been said, rules are nice guidelines, but the bottom line regarding any piece of a design is how all of the pieces work together. Draw, make mockups and trust your eye.
David
Thank all of you for the advice and guidelines. I've attached a picture of the table top (as it was a couple weeks ago).
I'm anxious to get the legs on and finish it. I'm probably going to go for longer legs. The idea of having it just high enough so I can put my feet on it (shoes off) when sitting on the couch appeals to me. Of course, I'd never do this with company over!
I'm thinking about walnut legs, perhaps that would keep the focus on the top work. I have 6 turned oak legs, but I think that would look tacky.
Do you think 4 or 6 legs? Any other timely advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks folks, you don't know how much I enjoy this.
-Ken (Palmyra, Nebraska)
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