Build a Modern Coffee Table
This mid-century design is inviting, versatile, and built to last
Synopsis: The generous surface, curved edges, and uncluttered undercarriage of this table make it great as a worktable or coffee table. The turned legs are slender, and canted for stability, while an angled brace eliminates the need for a medial stretcher underneath the table. The boat-shaped top has a thumbnail profile on its edges.
I originally designed this piece as a low worktable for my wife, Nicole, who teaches fiber crafts, and her students, who sit around it while they work. Having built the first one, I could see that with its ample, rounded top and unobtrusive undercarriage, it could work beautifully as a coffee table as well, and I decided to make another for that purpose. For the new table, I chose walnut for its deep warmth and rich color. The top is a single walnut board cut from a big plank I’d been dragging around for over 25 years, just waiting for the perfect project. At 22 in. by 54 in., the tabletop provides a generous surface. But the curves along its ends and sides make it friendlier, more approachable, and better suited to its purpose.
Read about the inspiration for Mario’s design here
![routing curved sides on table top](https://images.finewoodworking.com/app/uploads/2021/07/29123607/011291030-1.jpg)
The undercarriage is composed of two turned leg assemblies. Canting the slender legs let me provide stability along with a large cantilever at the ends. To stabilize and strengthen the leg assemblies, I added an angled brace that engages the stretcher and has a square block at the top end that sockets into the underside of the tabletop. The brace creates a rock-solid structural triangle and eliminates the need for a medial stretcher running the length of the table, helping keep the undercarriage uncluttered.
Making a boat-shaped top
I used templates to help shape the broad, shallow curves along the sides and ends of the tabletop. To make the template for the long side curves, I bent a thin strip of wood until I arrived at a pleasing arc and traced it onto a piece of 1/2-in. plywood. Then I cut the arc with a bandsaw and sanded to the line. I used the same springing technique to make the router template for the ends of the tabletop with its shorter arc.
Once the templates were completed, I traced them to lay out the boat shape of the top. With a jigsaw, I rough cut to within 1/8 in. of the outlines. Then I screwed a template to the underside of the tabletop and used an Infinity flush-trimming bit (item no. 06‑692; infinitytools.com) to create a clean, smooth edge. Any tiny blips left after routing were faired with a block plane and then sanded.
![creating scrollwork with a bandsaw](https://images.finewoodworking.com/app/uploads/2021/07/29123611/011291030-2.jpg)
Thumbnail profile softens the edge
I didn’t want a standard-issue bullnose profile for this table. I wanted something tighter, more deliberate; a thumbnail profile would work nicely. This detail softens the edge slightly by forming a gentle arc yet still leaves a crisp shadow line that clearly distinguishes the surface of the top from that of the edge.
From Fine Woodworking #291
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Shop Tour: Mario Rodriguez’s Woodshop Classroom and Curriculum |
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Scandinavian Kitchen Table |
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