HOW TO MAKE A LIVE EDGE COFFEE TABLE

When I first saw a live edge table I did not know what it was called but I knew I had to have a piece of furniture with an unfinished edge. And then I saw the price in the Arhaus catalog and put those dreams in a box until I won the lottery. And then I realized I won the lottery when I married a young man who slowly built a DIY resume of home-related projects (with one early day’s trip to the emergency room).

Together we figured out how to make a live-edge coffee table.

For my husband, a DIY project is a break from the daily grind of an entrepreneur in the medical tech space. For me, it is a marriage bonus because when I get a DIY he has the math skills to put it in motion.

Because most projects require a tape measure.

It is the foundation of our shared passion for saving money and taking our builder-grade brownstone in the suburbs home into something on the Upper West side (of our neighborhood).

WHAT IS A LIVE EDGE COFFEE TABLE?

If you are like, “Laura what is a live edge table.” I am pretty sure most of us have seen it but we didn’t know it by its name. It needs a nametag for introduction.

A live edge piece of furniture is a visual reminder of a tree’s life span and the ultimate gift to live a life below the trees and in our homes. It reminds me of the Giving Tree but with a happier ending.

We didn’t know it by its name, but our dining room table we bought on clearance has a rough edge finish.

Like many of my favorite blog posts and design elements, my love for lumber can be traced back to Walnut Grove and Hanson’s Mill.

DETAILS

Do you want in on a little secret about how to make a live-edge coffee table? It looks incredibly fancy and expensive, but it was easy to make.  And the best part. This table only requires a power drill. Curious now? 

L LUMB

• Start with a Google search for “live edge slabs” in your area. We found our Russian Olive “species” at a Denver store named Denver’s Wood Slabs.
• We visited the lumber warehouse to find a slab that worked best for the dimensions we wanted for our coffee table.     
• In the warehouse, each slab included details on species and where the tree was located. Most of the Denver slabs are from parks and city streets. 
• Our Russian Olive wood slab was salvaged from a Denver park. We provided the staff with the approximate dimensions for the coffee table. We arranged to pick up the wood slab after it was cut, planed, and sanded on both sides.

  

  For the cost of the slab, the company did all of the work on the front end for us. And, we did not pay the price of a semester’s meal plan to pay for this live edge table.

The table looked beautiful when we picked it up.

Tip: These finished slabs are very heavy. Plan accordingly for transport. 

The hardest part of this project was transferring the slab from the back of our car to the table saw stands in our garage.

The second hardest part was we only had one shot at getting the stain right! 

STAIN DETAILS 

This was the hardest step for me because I tend to rush the staining step. Do we need five coats of stain? Apparently, we did need five coats of stain.

Tip: Do not rush through this process. 

I used my go-to stain for this coffee table. Jacobean is my favorite because it brings out the grain and adds a rich finish to the barn doors and mantel in our basement. 

Together, over several nights, we applied five coats of stain. In between each layer of stain, we completed a light sanding and patiently waited 24 hours to apply the next coat of stain. 

FINAL STEPS

Finally, I finished the coffee table with two coats of a water-based clear coat. Between application and drying time, it took almost a week to stain and seal the table.

I ordered the table’s legs from an Etsy shop based in Utah. But you can find a variety of table legs on Amazon. 

As promised, the only power tool needed for this coffee table was a power drill to attach the legs! I do recommend pre-drilling the holes. 

Math Alert Line up the table’s legs based on the table’s dimensions. 

We love the finished look of our live-edge coffee table! Now, I think I need an end table to match!

Our Russian Olive, live edge coffee table is a little piece of Colorado history in our living room, family room and basement.

We love it so much that it rotates to different rooms in the house.  

Thank you for stopping by today. 

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