DIY Crate & Barrel Herringbone Coffee Table

The Crate & Barrel Dixon Coffee Table sells for $499.99 but you can build it yourself for $70 dollars instead. This is a sleek looking box framed herringbone coffee table. It is relatively small and compact for smaller living rooms, apartments, or condos. The box frame is NOT metal and actually made out of wood!

Crate & Barrel Dixon Coffee Table Build Tutorial

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Supplies

Tools

Estimated Cost: ~$70

Instructions

Step 1: Building the Box Frame

Start by cutting your 2x2x8 (actual dimensions 1.5×1.5×8) lumber down to 1″x1″ thickness. Sand lightly with 120 grit or higher sand paper.

Cut List:

(4) 44″
(5) 21″
(4) 15″

Next take your cut pieces and drill 0.75-1″ Pocket holes using the Kreg Jig. Important to drill pocket holes on the very bottom of the frame and the top of the frame to hide the holes. Attach pieces with wood glue and pocket screws.

Add Corner Braces or L Brackets to the corners to strengthen frame. This might be unnecessary but I felt the pocket hole could potentially fail. I wanted to reinforce the corners just in case.

Step 2: Painting

You can prime and paint in 2 different coats or buy black & primer mix paint to save time. Hand brush or use a paint sprayer to complete the task.

Step 3: Build Table Top

Cut the 24″ x 48″ 3/4 Inch Plywood down to 44.5″x21.5″ (after adding edging the final table top dimensions should be 46″x23″).

Next draw a line right down the middle (~10.75″). Again draw a line at the midpoint of the edge and the 10.75″ line (~5.375″). In the end you should have 4 equal rectangles measuring 44.5″ x 5.375″. These lines are used as your reference point for the herringbone design.

The best way is to start with a piece slightly longer than needed. Continue to cut it shorter until it fits correctly. Use this piece to copy repeatedly until you have enough to finish the table top. Set your miter saw to 45 degrees or table saw.

Use wood glue and nail down herringbone wood pieces to the table. Use the reference lines as your midpoint.

You may have some pieces that hang off the edge of the plywood underneath. Use a circular saw or a table saw to clean up the edges.

Sand down tabletop with 120 grit or higher.

Grab your 1x2x8 lumber and miter them at 45 degrees. Cut these to 23″ (2) and 46″ (2).

Step 4: Staining and Finishing

Use Wood Conditioner on Soft Woods such as Pine to even out the stain. This will prevent blotches.

Minwax Provencial Wood Stain (1 Light Coat)

White Paint Glaze Mixture wiped on ~60 minutes after wood stain.

Protective Finish Polyurethane wiped on. Light sanding was done afterwards.

Use wood glue, place the table top onto the frame, clamp down and use wood screws to secure. This is where you should add the final middle support (I put the support in before the table top was placed on. This caused me issues with proper fitting. The table top was slightly larger than the bottom frame in the middle.

Finished! Enjoy your new coffee table.

I am a self taught do it yourself project / woodworker. I want to demonstrate that DIY project can be doable and simple. I hope to inspire others to try to build and create new things! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and this blog for more DIY projects! Thank you.

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Use all power tools with caution. Do not copy what you see in the video / instructions without proper safety precautions.