Sofa Table, Initial Design thoughts...

I would either taper the legs or cut a couple curves in the bottom of them. Gives them a smaller footprint and makes the piece look a little more elegant.

-- Save lives, ease suffering, reduce morbidity and mortality, stomp out pestilence and disease, postpone the inevitable, and fake compassion. The Paramedics Creed

Tapered legs or maybe some portion turned on the legs…no stretchers…no bottom shelf. Spalted maple fronts would look good. Cut from one board so the grain is continious from left to right…but that’s my $0.02.. but really your design looks good as is

-- Measure "at least" twice and cut once

my version

-- A Planer? I'M the planer, this is what I use

Give it an oriental flair by tapering and carving the feet, and doubling and molding the top edges.

-- Clint Searl.............We deserve what we tolerate

Here is my version of a sofa table. The top half is quite similar to your design. I like a lower shelf for the added stability, at least visually, if nothing else. FWIW

-- Art

I like them both.

I offer this just an example of one idea to add visual interest square legs:

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Tapered the legs from 1.5” down to 1”. Tried a 2 drawer version, but I think I like the 3 drawer version better.

-- Jim, Michigan

Looks like a winner HickoryHill.....a very elegant design…post pictures when complete

-- Measure "at least" twice and cut once

What if you made the center drawer bigger and have two smaller drawers on the sides? You seem to be able use your drafting program well, give it a shot and see if you like it. I like the tapered legs and three drawers with the dark top.

-- Ryan - Bethel Park, PA

I think the tapered legs add a good deal to the design, I would go with them for sure. Personal preference here, but due to the size, I would probably stick w/ 3 drawers.

I had Ryan’s idea, but in reverse: flanking drawers larger and center drawer smaller, maybe even Golden Mean.

The curve is elegant and just right to my eye but the drawers seem deep top to bottom.

It looks like two sides of the legs are tapered. That, too, is my preference. I’m not sure I’d curve the end skirts.

What is the top material? Would four little plugs of the spalt be too fussy on the top?

If it’s possible, I’d like to see a sketch with the stiles next to the legs gone. It might look a little smoother overall.

Thanks for the exercise, and wow, what a great accumulation of design and execution. I hate to even think it, but are we in a “sofa table of your dreams” thing here?

: )

Kindly,

Lee

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

Here is an updated version with different size drawers. I don’t know if I did the golden mean right or not, you’d think having a math minor would of helped. Maybe it’s too early in the morning. I basically too the space available, divided it by 1.618##### and got the width of the bigger drawer.

Also changed the side panel to not arched.

Lee….....not sure what the top material would be. Would take recommendations.

-- Jim, Michigan

Wow. I like the black feet on the legs. If that’s ebony, and you make your own pulls out of the same stuff, ooooooh.

One more suggestion, and this is one that requires no special commitment until late in the game:

My eye prefers what seems at first to be a large overhang just on the ends. You can try this in sketchup, or just glue up your top a bit long and try it for your eye. If your front/back is an inch or so, try 3 1/4 on the ends.

As for the top, the way your sketch shows the color is really attractive to me, with the black tying everything together.

I think some texture would be acceptable in this piece so I would consider ash or oak, dyed ebony.

After another cuppa, you might try making the width of he center drawer 1.618 greater than the height. That’s what I had in mind with my suggestion. Or maybe the flanking drawers would be that dimension.

Good work on this Jim. This sounds frivolous, but it’s possible: You may have come up with an iconic design, or at the very least one that others will copy.

Kindly,

Lee

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

There is a way to make the front apron LOOK like a single piece of lumber, until one opens a drawer. Needs a little wider stock, two rip cuts for the top and bottom “Rails, size the drawers from the middle section. The divders can even be the samme stock. Cut the drawers out, leaving the dividers, resize down. Glue up the front apron, matching the grain areas. Build the drawers, and slide them in. Overlay or flush front, it is up to you.

-- A Planer? I'M the planer, this is what I use

Here is two with the overhang longer. One with the face shorter, 6” vs 7.5”

-- Jim, Michigan