Coffee Table
Date Created: June 2014
Collaborators: N/A
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Project Breakdown
Motivation
I woke up early on a Saturday morning in June 2014, glanced at the aging, fragile Ikea table in my living room and decided it needed a replacement. I decided it'd be fun to design one myself, so I set a spending limit, a maximum tabletop area, and a time limit and got to work. The goal: to design and construct a coffee table with maximum tabletop dimensions of 2'x2' in one day, spending no more than $200.
Summary
I created a rough schedule describing how many hours I would devote to each portion of the project. I spent a couple hours researching ideal materials and design ideas that met my set design requirements. I used this research to drafted some rough designs concepts for the table, which took about 3 hours. Next, I created a detailed CAD design and headed to a local hardware store to purchase the necessary materials. I spent the remainder of my time staining the wood, and constructing the table.
Schedule
Recognize Limitations: 0.5 hr
Research Solutions: 2 hr
Draft Multiple Design Concepts: 2 hr
Detailed CAD Design: 3 hr
Purchase Materials & Locate Tools: 2 hr
Construct Table: 7 hr
Discretionary: 7.5 hr
Design Requirements
$200 Budget
Durability
Stability
Light Weight Materials
Aesthetics
2'x2' Maximum Tabletop Area
Research & Solutions
- Durable, Light Weight Materials
- Aluminum & Wood
- Stability
- Symmetric Geometry & Even Weight Distribution
- Aesthetics
- Cherry or Mahogany Stain & Exposed Fasteners/Supports
Design Concepts
CAD Design
Symmetry
Lightweight
Affordable
Within Size Limitations
Optimized Support
Basic Tooling
Necessary Materials
- Aluminum Legs, Brackets, Braces, Nails, Sheets
- Wood 2x4 Planks
- Stainless Steel Screws
- Mahogany Stain
- Rubber Feet
Necessary Tools
- Power Drill
- Circular Saw
- Hammer
- Paint Brush
Completion
