Bob the Builder (can we fix it!)

I mentioned in a previous post about minimalism that rather than buy furniture we would buy quality materials and make our own. Or should I say my boyfriend would make it. I wouldn't know the first thing but somehow he's a natural. So the first thing he decided to build was a coffee table. We took a trip up to a sawmill about a month ago and he bought some nice Macrocarpa wood. Macrocarpa is an untreated New Zealand exotic timber and is one of the most eco friendly timbers in New Zealand.

Our new coffee table

Nick and I love wood with a bit of character so while selecting the large piece of Macrocarpa we looked for as many interesting knots and 'flaws' as we could find. Back at home Nick sawed and sanded it down into the pieces we needed. After staining it with a nice dark stain to match our dining room table he bolted it together with brackets. In total it took a few weeks but we had to be careful as we don't have a garage so we didn't want to annoy the neighbours too much.

The detailing

The outcome was fantastic, I couldn't be happier. The coffee table looks great, it's the perfect size and along with being a more sustainable option it also has a lot of sentimental value so I know we will want to keep it forever. Next up is some bookcases! I can't wait.