DOWNSIZED END TABLE

Scale is everything in furniture. Pieces designed for a large space take up too much room in a condo or apartment setting. This was a way to reduce the scale of a large end table and convert it to a hall or occasional table, keeping the original style.

I started with a bulky 24"W x 28"L x 24" H end table. It was held together with Allen screws and Philips head screws, so an Allen wrench and Philips screwdriver were needed to take it apart. I also used a circular saw with a guide to cut down the individual pieces. I also used some angle brackets for reinforcement.

After taking it apart, I was left with 2 sides (legs), the top, the bottom shelf, a box which supported the legs and contained a drawer and a finished end. I removed the drawer, drawer front and track, saving them for another project.

After cleaning up the pieces, I cut the finished end in half. These would now comprise the 2 finished ends of the new table. I re-assembled the support box using glue and angle brackets. It was now half the original width. At this point I re- attached the sides (legs) to the box with the original screws. With this done, it was a simple matter to measure the size of the top. I left the original 2" overhang on 3 sides and no overhang on the back (long side) since this would be against a wall or couch and cut the top accordingly. Also measured the width of the shelf and cut it as well.

Next, the leg assembly was placed on the cut down top inside the marked 2" overhang and screwed back in place. Do one side and square up the box before screwing the other side down. The shelf was then re-installed using the original screws and brackets. The resulting table is 28" W, 15"D and 24'H. The new profile takes up less room and still retains the same style.