Column Coffee Table DIY

How I created an 80’s-inspired, column coffee table using oversize pvc pipe + wood top for our family room at 1/4 the cost of a similar Anthropologie table.

I gotta say that this table was a total winding path of trial and error. We were essentially making it up as we went, and it took much longer than initially anticipated, but we kept at it, and I think we arrived at a really beautiful table for our family room and solid tutorial for you guys to replicate or build-on.

What inspired this coffee table DIY?

Let’s be honest–this isn’t your run-of-the-mill coffee table. It’s a little weird and a little unexpected. But you know what? I think every room needs a little quirk. The quirk-factor adds interest, originality, and (in my humble opinion) it takes a room from good to great. I love the chunky, 80’s-esque lines of the coffee table (pictured above) from Anthropologie, but at nearly $1000, it wasn’t where we wanted to allocate our budget. Also, the Anthro table has a 42″ diameter which was way too big for our space and we really needed a black table to bring contrast to the room.

Project Development

My friend Carrie of Dream Green DIY, recently made a reeded side table using PVC pipe to create the reeded look. It turned out really nice and got me thinking–if I could find thick enough PVC, then maybe they could work for the column legs.

Choosing a Wood Species

About 6 years ago I made my first coffee table, this Danish coffee table with a thrifted painted wood top and some cool Mid-Century legs. This time around being pregnant during a pandemic, I wasn’t able to do the serious thrifting needed to find a top for this column table. I also liked the idea of the top being stained wood rather than painted. In the essence of time, we ended up buying a pre-made top. It wasn’t inexpensive at all. The most affordable 31″ tops from Tablelegs.com were around $225, and maple and oak were the most cost effective species.

I chose maple, though in retrospect I’m thinking I should have gone with oak which has a stronger grain presence. On the next project, I think I’ll look for an Ash top.

Jet Black Wood Finish Research

As you can see from the finished pictures of the table, we were going for a jet black–almost opaque–wood finish where a bit of the grain could still peek through. Initially we tried Varathane’s Ebony Stain, and it didn’t come out dark enough. If you scroll down to the how-to pictures below, the image showing the underside of the table with the legs attached, is what the Varathane Ebony Stain looked like after 3 coats on the maple top.

I consulted you guys in Instagram Stories (thank you!!), and you gave us fantastic recommendations on how to achieve the Jet Black opaque finish. Turns out there are a few solid ways to go about it. Many of you recommended Rubio Monocoat Precolor in Intense Black , and I’m so looking forward to trying it on the next project.

We ended up doing Mohawk Jet Black Penetrating Dye Stain, and it gave us the nearly black finish with a bit of wood grain still coming through.

Materials:

• 30″ Round Wood Table Top, 1″ thick
• 6″ dia Black PVC Pipe — I used 3 of these 24″ lengths
• Qty 9, 3/4″ Corner Braces
• Construction Adhesive

• Black Satin Spray Paint
• Mitre Saw
• Jet Black Penetrating Dye
• Foam Brush
• Mask
• Cordless Drill
• Clear Satin or High Gloss Poly Topcoat

How To:

1. Using a mitre saw, cut PVC pipes into three, 16″ long pieces. Our mitre saw blade wasn’t large enough to cut through the entire diameter, so we ended up rotating the PVC pipe as we brought the blade down through the pipe.
2. Attach 3 corner braces, evenly spaced, to one end of each of the 3 PVC pipes with a cordless drill.
3. Spray paint the entire pipe and braces with black spray paint.
4. Apply Jet Black Mohawk Penetrating Dye Stain to wood top with a foam brush. Allow to soak in. No need to wipe off. This dye is acetone-based, so dries almost immediately. Allow first coat to dry before applying a 2nd coat, if needed. (We needed two coats.)
5. Seal wood top with satin or high gloss polyurethane.
6. Attach legs to wood top.
   1. Mark desired location of legs on the underside of table top. Ours are evenly spaced about 3.25″ from the edge of the tabletop. Pre-drill pilot holes for screw braces.
   2. Apply a ring of construction adhesive around the end of the PVC pipe with braces attached.
   3. Position PVC legs in place one at a time. Attach with screws and use a paper towel or rag to remove the excess construction adhesive. Allow to dry for a few hours before flipping the table over.

And there you have it! I hope we’ve inspired you to make a coffee table of your own, or tackle another project you’ve been eyeing. You’ve got this!

More DIY Furniture Projects!

• The No-Fuss Guide to Painting Furniture
• DIY Danish Modern Coffee Table
• DIY Floating Media Cabinet