How to Build a Simple Sofa Table

A sofa table is a good place to display art objects and books. Since it sits behind a sofa, it functions somewhat as a room divider. Building a sofa table is relatively simple, since it looks fine without a lot of shelves or ornamentation.

Things You'll Need

• Planed boards
• Glue
• C-clamps
• Pre-made table legs
• Router
• Table saw
• Drill
• Electric screwdriver
• Stain

Instructions

1. Measure the length of the sofa. Design the tabletop to be about 12 inches shorter than the length of the sofa. You can make the tabletop rectangular. Or, you can cut a top bowed out wider at its middle section. Make the tabletop spproximately 12 to 15 inches wide. Design the table to be about 6 inches shorter in height than the back of the sofa.

2. Purchase the type of wood you want. Buy wood and a stain color that will harmonize with other wood furniture in the room. If you want to use metal legs or metal scroll work, buy exact sizes. Design and build the table around the metal pieces.

3. Cut the top of the table first. On a rectangular table, use a wood router to give nice edges to the sides of the top. Use a drill attachment to create recessed holes in the table's wooden top that will accommodate pre-made wooden legs. Or, build your own table legs. Both screw and glue legs into the tabletop. If you attach metal legs, screw them to the top carefully so you will not split the wood.

4. Add strength to the table by cutting out a bottom shelf made of wood or installing a metal shelf. The shelf should be at least 6 inches from the floor. Glue and clamp the bottom shelf into place if it's wood and it attaches to wooden legs. Or, use metal fittings to attach a metal shelf to metal legs.

5. Sand and stain the wood parts of the sofa table. Use a waterproof sealer if you will use the sofa table for potted plants or fixing drinks or food. Allow the finished table to dry 24 hours before placing it behind the sofa.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to have a drawer in the sofa table, design a top that has a deeper front, back and sides. Install metal or wooden tracking for the drawer to slide on. A sofa table drawer is a good place to store candles and matches or personal items such as gloves or car keys. If you want to build the sofa table into a piece of furniture to store a lot of books, measure for extra wood and pre-made wood or metal decorative pieces before you start to build it.

• Use wooden or metal legs that will sufficiently support the weight you will add to the table. Heavy potted plants or lots of heavy art objects can fall under a sofa table with just legs and no lower shelf to add strength to the piece.

References

• Frugal Way to Build a Sofa Table
• Basic Ideas to Design a Sofa Table
• Contemporary Sofa Table Designs

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Photos of Various Sofa and Console Tables