DIY Live Edge Coffee Table With Hairpin Legs

Zest it Up
by Zest it Up
5 Materials
Field trip!!!! Yep, yep, Sam and I are super excited to share with you about a little secret right in the heart of downtown Santa Margarita. As downtown is merely a few blocks down one street, it is not hard to find…but so many locals have no clue that this magical place exists. Ok, perhaps I am waxing poetic, but when it comes to gorgeous lumber, I tend to get a little emotional.

Photo Credit Anya McInroy
BlogLink
How can you go wrong with a place that almost resembles a junk yard and lumber yard mixed into one. And can we talk about their legit sign. This place is what dreams are made of! Sexy planks of black walnut….HELLO!
Sam and I felt like we were on a real treasure hunt. Why were we scouring over massive planks of wood, you may ask. Well, we were seeking out the perfect plank for a live edged coffee table we were dreaming about for our front room at ZQ (aka Zest Quarters).
The massive proportions of the equipment here made the woodworker in me stop in awe. Holy cow it was awesome! But enough drooling, time to find our perfect piece!
Digging through a couple of piles of black walnut, we found a few pieces to work with. The proprietor was such a sweetie that he only charged us for two pieces, and gave us a third for free!
Starting with a rough grit sandpaper, Sam and I worked the top layers of the black walnut smooth. We sanded the cut sides of the piece, but left all the beautiful bark intact.
After smoothing out all the scoring that the wood plane had created when the piece was cut, it was time to move to the fine grit sandpaper. Be patient in sanding, and it will reward you. Our black walnut tabletop was as smooth as a baby’s bottom!
Before dusting the piece off and giving it a beautiful finish, I attached my four hairpin legs to the bottom of the table.
With this hardwood, all I needed were some wood screws to keep these legs nice and steady.
Time to coat! Using a satin polyurethane, we coated our table using cheap sponge brushes. Since the polyurethane is oil based, we didn’t want to have to wash our nice brushes.


We used a satin finish because we wanted to keep this table feeling as natural as possible. A high gloss just would not have achieved the right look.
Holy cow this clear coat brought out the beauty of the wood!!!!!


It is very important to let the coat dry for several hours (approx 4) before lightly sanding it again and following with another light coat of polyurethane. Repeat these steps one more time for a total of 3 coats of polyurethane. Trust me, the time is so worth it! Helloooooo gorgeous!
Ooooh, I just love it when a field trip finishes up with a killer project. This table is the PERFECT statement for our first impression at Zest Quarters. I absolutely love the richness of the wood meeting up with the cold, hard steel.


Makers gonna make!!!!


xoxo


Chanda
Suggested materials:
  • Drill
  • Hairpin table legs
  • Screws
See all materials
Zest it Up
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Shelly Day Shelly Day on Dec 01, 2016
    What does a slab of wood like that cost?
  • Rhonda Burkett Rhonda Burkett on Jan 26, 2020

    Love love love these tables!!! I actually scored the same exact couch that u have in the background for free in hopes to restore it in the future. I’m in love with the color of your couch I have to say. Mine is currently a faded golden color right now.

    Question? Where did u get your hairpin legs for your tables?

  • Tanna Keel Garboski Tanna Keel Garboski on Jan 16, 2023

    i know this sounds strange, but where did you acquire that couch? My mother-in-law had the identical couch in which she recovered it in that exact material! Lol

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 27 comments
  • Mike Williamson Mike Williamson on Feb 16, 2017
    Beautiful! Nice work!
  • Jena Faling Jena Faling on Nov 09, 2017

    Thank you so much for this article. My husband & I sell Live Edge Slabs for a living, so we totally support Do-It-Yourself projects. We're located in Michigan, if any one needs a slab. aeroandcompany.com

Next