Eaves Side Table
Completed: October, 2022
The assignment was simple: design a piece of furniture using no more than 30 square feet of cherry wood. Keeping that in mind, I designed a side table made of 4 boards, not exceeding 14 inches in width. Although I aimed to have a simplistic design. I learned that visual minimalism often creates hidden complexities. To start, raw pieces of cherry lumber had to be milled and then edge glued to create the 4 boards.
Modeled in Solidworks
To start, raw pieces of cherry lumber were milled and then edge glued to create 4 boards. Several rabbet joints were cut using a router to secure the two shelves to the legs. The design is nearly symmetric, except for the table top, which cantilevers 23 inches from the ground. This overhang allows for the arm of a low couch to fit perfectly underneath, providing a hard surface to rest drinks and other possessions on. The design feature inspired the name Eaves, alluding to the point on homes where the edge of the roof overhangs the face of a wall.
The final piece was finished using a mixture of Tung oil and dark Danish oil. Using a dark stain finish accentuated the fine, straight grain of the cherry and overall, enhanced that warm tone of the wood. This piece was designed to live in the center of a room. The half-round shelf gradually revels its stock of items such as books or decorative pieces as users walk from one side to the other.
The Eaves side table altogether took one month to design and build.