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Mid Century Modern Side Tables
# Mid Century Modern Bedside Tables Project
## Introduction
Recently, I had the pleasure of building a pair of Mid Century Modern bedside tables for one of my clients. As someone who initially wasn't a big fan of this style, I’ve grown to appreciate its sleek lines and timeless appeal. This particular project came about through a conversation at the Inman Park Festival in Atlanta last year, where I met a client looking to replace her old IKEA college tables with something more sophisticated and tailored to her bedroom.
The client and I worked closely to design these bedside tables according to her preferences. She expressed a desire for something that felt like an "adult" piece of furniture—something sturdy and elegant. We settled on dimensions of approximately 25 inches tall, 18 inches wide, and 18 inches deep. These tables would feature a shelf dividing the case into two sections: an open upper shelf and a drawer in the lower section, each about 5 inches high. The design also incorporated round, splayed, and tapered legs, and we agreed to use solid maple wood with a natural oil finish.
## Selecting and Preparing the Wood
For this project, I chose 4/4 maple boards, which are about 1 inch thick when surfaced. I was particularly keen on finding boards wider than 9 inches to minimize the need for glue-ups, as the table depth is 18 inches. Having access to a 12-inch jointer made this task easier. After selecting the wood, I carefully examined each board for color consistency and grain patterns to ensure a cohesive look across the finished pieces.
Once the lumber was selected, I proceeded to mill the boards. First, I cut the boards to length using a miter saw. From there, I ran them over the jointer to achieve a perfectly flat surface, followed by the planer to bring them to the desired thickness. It’s crucial to maintain precision during this stage to avoid complications later in the assembly process.
## Gluing Up and Assembling the Case
The next step involved gluing up the individual components of the table. Typically, I prefer to glue the entire case together before cutting it into separate pieces, but in this instance, I broke the pieces down early. While this isn’t the ideal method, I managed to pull it off successfully by being meticulous about maintaining straight edges during clamping.
Once the case pieces were glued and cleaned up, I tilted the table saw blade to 45 degrees and used an Incra 5000 table saw sled to cut the miters. This created a seamless grain wraparound effect. I also used a dado stack to create grooves in the side pieces to house the middle shelf. To reinforce the miters, I employed a Festool Domino to cut tenons into the corners. Adding elements like dominoes, biscuits, or dowels significantly strengthens miter joints, which are notoriously weak due to their end grain-to-end grain nature.
## Building the Drawer Boxes
With the case assembled, I moved on to building the drawer boxes. I opted for poplar wood for the drawer boxes, which is a practical secondary wood choice. Using my Liegh D4R dovetail jig, I quickly and accurately crafted the drawers. Full-extension drawer glides were installed to allow easy access to the contents.
For the drawer fronts, I chose figured maple to introduce an eye-catching design element. Ensuring a uniform gap around the drawer fronts required the use of spacers—business cards in this case—to achieve an equal reveal. Any minor adjustments were made with a hand plane.
## Adding the Legs
Here’s where I’ll admit I took a shortcut—I didn’t turn the legs myself. Instead, I purchased pre-made Mid Century Modern legs from TableLegs.com. Their mounting system intrigued me: the base plate, milled with an angled design, allows the legs to be screwed in at a 90-degree angle while maintaining the desired flare. The quality of the threaded inserts and rods is exceptional, far superior to what I’ve seen in other similar products.
## Finishing Touches
The client’s bedroom already featured modern, light-colored furniture, so a natural oil finish seemed like the perfect complement. I began by sanding all surfaces to 220 grit and wiping them down with mineral spirits to remove dust and any remaining glue marks. Mineral spirits also serve as a useful diagnostic tool to spot imperfections before applying the finish.
I applied two coats of OSMO Polyx clear satin oil, a blend of oil and wax. The oil penetrates deeply into the wood, while the wax forms a protective layer on the surface. A second coat reactivates the previous layer, allowing the oil to penetrate further. After letting the oil set for several minutes, I buffed it dry with a soft cloth or non-abrasive pad. Although OSMO is relatively expensive, it’s highly durable and requires minimal maintenance.
## Conclusion
Building these Mid Century Modern bedside tables was a rewarding experience. The client is thrilled with the result, and I’m pleased to have delivered a piece that aligns with her vision. Working on this project deepened my appreciation for the style, especially when executed with attention to detail and quality craftsmanship.
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Let me know if you have any questions or feedback about this project!