Good Questions: Where Can I Find This Table, But Cheaper?

Hello AT,

I am looking for a round dining table made of wenge (or some kind of very dark brown wood) and glass, similar to the Occa table. However, I don't want to spend any more than $500, if possible. Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks! Tai

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Dear Tai, seriously man, the Occa for $899 is not a bad price for what you want, and we are seriously challenged to find something like that for any less. The glass alone will run you about $300-$400. For super cheap, we think you are going to have to put this together yourself.

The tricky thing is the base. Getting a round shape with wood is complicated. If you switch to a rectangular base, you will have a much easier time of it and we would recommend Wood-O-Rama on the upper west side to give you tips and sell you the wood AND the stain.

Another good resource for this kind of thing is Room and Board. They sell table tops and bases individually. Their 48" frosted glass top (round) is $349.

Comments (18)

Veneer a Sono tube (the forms they use for casting concrete columns) for the base.

The base is actually easy- what you want is a plywood cylinder. Anderson International Trading has them in 24" diameter maple for $131.

To copy that table exactly, you'll also need to find a matching lazy susan for the top.

And you can get glass tops way cheaper than Room and Board. A cursory search found this place:

http://www.glasstopsdirect.com/productsglass.htm

where a 48" round, .5" thick top is $280 delivered.

My Anderson link got stripped. You can click through at:

http://www.aitwood.com/

Build one. That would be extremely easy to build, if you could find the right materials. Don't buy a glass table top from a furniture store, buy it from a glass cutter for much, much less money. I bought one years ago when I was in college, and it was around $100. Just make sure you get tempered glass and that you get it thick enough. The glass cutter would be able to advise you.

Then all you need is a base. A large spool (one that holds wire for construction) could be covered with a variety of materials, from opaque plastic (and then lit from the inside), to thin sheet metal. I suppose you could use a material that could be veneered for a copy of what's above. At a minimum, you could veneer the top of the spool that is visible from through the table top.

This would cost much, much less than $800 and be an interesting project. The hard part is finding a spool from a construction project, but I do see them discarded occasionally. If you couldn't find a spool, you might be able to find a lumber yard that would cut plywood into circles and then use whatever you'd like for the center support and the outside covering.

Just some ideas.

-Aaron

There's an easy and cheap way to make that cylinder: MDF sheets that are cut to be bent into curves. The example they show is... drumroll... your intended table: http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?offerings_id=11206

MDF is a very reliable base material. Put a flexible veneer over it or faux woodgrain it yourself with paint. Then all you need is a glass top and something to solve the lazy susan problem.

Hi everyone!

I've been a shy lurker for awhile and I'd like to say I think the site update is so clean and better organized. I love it.

I'm not sure about the base but having worked at Pier One, until just recently, you should look at the glass table tops there. They may not be the very best quality but they have gone with a different manufacturer and the quality has improved. They come in different sizes with the largest being 48" round. To see the prices on line you have to view the differnt dining tables on the site or just give a local one a call for availability. The 48" one is $175 but if there's a dining sale around the corner (usually right before Thanksgiving) you could probably get it for cheaper. Here's a link:
http://www.pier1.com/furniture/productdetail.asp?catalog%5Fname=Pier1&strStoreNavDept=&strStoreNavClass=&department_name=FBDEPT+68524+Dining+Tables+and+Chairs&category_name=FBGROUP+70312+Arusha+Dining+Table+Base&intPageNumber=1&intSetNumber=1

Well hope that helps!

I thought I saw something similar at Crate and Barrel but I just looked on their website and it's not there, so maybe I'm imagining it? I do know I saw a round glass topped dining room table with a large cylindrical base split in two made of natural steel (I think) there a few weeks ago. I don't see that on their website either but I think it was around $500.

Good luck.
Reef

Reef,

Is this the table you were thinking of?
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=882&f=7323&viewall=1

Unfortunately it is way over Tai's budget. $1300. Dizam!

Katie

so where exactly can you find wood veneer for diy furniture at economical prices? my local hardware store (orchard supply hardware) doesn't seem to carry that sort of thing.

A quick google search yielded:

American Wood & Veneer Works
(718) 937-2195
4725 27th St
Long Island City, NY 11101

and

General Woods & Veneer Inc
(212) 725-8480
386 Park Ave
New York, NY 10022

Rockler is good for veneer too. Along with many other things- like finishing materials, nice wood (not the junk Home Despot sells), tools, specialized hardware, etc.

Now they just need to stop asking for my freaking phone number when I pay. What is this, Radio Shack?

Katie,

Nope, that's not the table I was thinking of. I think I must have seen the glass top, wood base table somewhere else.

As for wood veneer, I'd google it.

Reef

Thanks everyone for your ideas! This really helps me out a lot. I just bought a house, so I'm definitely up for making furniture to keep costs low. I can't wait to get started on this project!

Tai

Tai--

Before you get all DIY on our a$$es... ;)

this just in from Crate & Barrel.. (granted, not a glass top, but a great look and HUGE value... $349):

The Galerie Dining Table...
www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=881&f=6852

You can always put a same-size glass round on it...

Patrick (too),

I've seen that table at C&B and it's so much nicer then I expected at that low price.

Reef

If I'm not to late with a suggestion and if you're into the country/rustic look . . . shop around for a wooden barrel for a base.

With the Galerie table from C&B (I have been eyeing it for a week or so)... Would you nervous about the finish and get a table pad for it? I may go for the glass top table at C&B instead. Any suggestions?

I need a pedestal to support my table top. It is a lovely octagonal glass top, but the pedestal with it doesn't provide enough perimeter support, i.e., whenever anybody puts too much weight on the perimeter, the glass tips up on the opposite side. All suggestions will be appreciated.