I recently moved into a new studio space, so I needed a good work table. My home studio has a table, but I wanted the new space to sport a “pretty” one, because pretty is important, you know? Following is the step by step process to turn a couple saw horses, a door and some repurposed pallets into an awesome studio table.
Here is a shot of the new space, Studio #1.
First, I purchased a door for $30. (You can see the drought in California is real).I decided to use some old pallets to dress up my work table. Then, I created the layout on top of the flat space. The length and colour I wanted the “planks” to be. You can’t really see the pattern of the layout in this photo – but it was penciled in.
I enlisted my husband to cut the planks to size. In this tutorial it looks like he did all the work. 😉
And then we made sure they fit into the pattern on the table.
I stained the table because I knew the joints would have gaps. I chose a colour that would complement the stains for the planks. The stain is light and the marked pattern shows through.
Each piece was marked so I knew where it would fit into the pattern on the table. Then, I stained the planks different colours.
Finally, they were affixed to the door with wood glue (and some other mosaic glue), but wood glue will work.
Next, I got two adjustable work bases from Ikea. Each base was $40. I took the bases from the boxes, but kept them with their original package so they’d fit together nicely.
I stained the pieces of wood different colours.
Remember to keep them with their original neighbors and hardware. Then, Husband assembled them.
Finally, I had a glass top made to keep the work surface smooth. The price of the glass can vary, so shop around. Because there were differences in the height of the planks, I needed spacers. If I were to do this again, I’d make sure depth of the wood from the pallets was the all the same.
I’ve been enjoying this table. It can be covered with paper while painting. The adjustable height bases are perfect for customizing a comfortable working height and when it’s time to entertain and display work in the studio – it’s pretty!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my tutorial. Feel free to share with friends!
Fearlessly Make Stuff!
