All I Need To Do Is Learn To Drink Coffee
For some reason, I have never liked drinking coffee so perhaps that is the reason why I never understood while short tables in rooms are referred to as coffee tables. For me, they have always been a place to rest my weary feet while reading a good book, perhaps sit a bowl of salsa and a bag of chips on or perhaps keep my journal handy so I can update it when I tire of reading. Miscellaneous task table seems like a more apt description though I do admit it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily.
Above is a project I did four years ago and was my inspiration. I bought plans for these tables from an online YouTube content creator who does wood working. They now reside in our living room on either side of our easy chairs with their nested companions underneath and pulled out and spread out around the room when having a party. The circles line up and the bars appear to be three when nested together. So I took that for inspiration when I designed the coffee table by adding three vertical bars and one circle. I also continued to use the walnut and red oak combination of materials because I kind of like the contrast.
Above is a picture of our current kit coffee table which has served our needs for 20 years and three moves. If you can look closely, there is a piece missing from the bottom right leg area and I think the trim piece in back is completely loose and just held in place by the weight of the pressed together particle board construction. At our urban apartment, it served as the only table other than a small dinette table so my wife used it a lot when studying for tests or relaxing her feet after a long day of residency. From there, it moved down to our previous house and then to this house where it sits in front of our fireplace downstairs.
Finally, here is the new coffee table in place minus the spent flowers and ready for use come winter when we spend a lot more time in this room, mostly on weekends where we read and nap the days away in front of a toasty fire. The old unit will go out at the curb where once a week, our small city has a bulky item pickup if I call and give them our address. I wish it was in good enough shape I could give it away but with it being propped together as it is, I'm not sure it will make the journey to the curb as it is. I hope by building a piece of furniture that should outlive my grandchildren, I can make up for the sin of throwing the previous unit in the landfill.
I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was 50. I decided that it was a social thing and that I should join in. I started with triple-triples (3 creams and 3 sugars) and ended up liking two creams.
ReplyDeleteWell I've passed your record and since I guess I don't socialize with morning crowd where coffee it typically drank, I'm probably going to extend the record for quite a few more years.
DeleteBeautiful tables! As for coffee, I first drank it at 5 with about 1/2 milk. By college, I was drinking it black.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I am not allowed to comment with my goggle account and or with my name (as it says my URL is invalid) this morning. Jeff https://fromarockyhillside.com
My college daughter already drinks coffee but with a lot of extras added in. Thus far, she only drinks it one day a week, Thursdays of all days. My wife isn't a coffee drinker either though she will have a cup of decaf in a social situation.
DeleteEd, what a great addition to your house!
ReplyDeleteI came late to coffee (mid-twenties), but now start every morning with it. The only caveat is that I can only do the first two cups with caffeine; anything else destroys my sleep pattern at night.
The only drawback is that it is located in a place that I only really use about 12 days of the year.
DeleteI love coffee--but mostly with creamer or a mocha. I started young and would "steal" my mom's coffee after church. "Margaret, where's my coffee?!" I wish I liked tea since it feels like it's better for me. Lovely coffee table! Strangely for someone who drinks coffee, I've never had a coffee table. I have end tables with coasters.
ReplyDeleteI've been into a lot of coffee drinker households and I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone drink coffee at such a table. Mostly they are places for remotes, magazines and the candles.
DeleteYou are correct; coffee tables are for feet. But I find so many homes don't permit feet on the coffee table. Poo! Beautiful woodwork. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteFeet are welcome on mine though I might get a little bothered if shoes were on those feet!
DeleteI love your new coffee table. It's a perfect place for "coffee table books". I've gone back and forth between coffee and hot tea over the years. Currently it's coffee (hot or cold brew) with a bit of oat milk.
ReplyDeleteI don't even drink tea for the same reason I don't drink coffee. I don't care for the taste of either. I'll eat just about any kind of food placed before me but don't care for coffee or tea. What weird taste buds I have.
DeleteKay of Musings: I am always in awe of your woodworking, Ed. My son and family left this weekend and we’re horrendously busy with a ton of appointments, car and air conditioning repair work, not to mention cleaning up and putting things back to normal. Hmmm… coffee? Well I must tell you that my morning mocha does help me get “going.” 😂
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'll read about it in an upcoming post. I've been enjoying your Japan series tremendously and want to go there someday soon!
DeleteBeautiful table! I would put a glass or acrylic top on it so the wood shows through - though that quilted piece does look sweet.
ReplyDeleteAlthough probably a wise decision for longevity concerns, I've never cared for the look and feel of furniture protected by glass or acrylic. I like the texture of the wood and even the scars that accumulate over the years. It tells a story. Perhaps whomever gets it after I'm through can put a piece of protective glass or acrylic over it. I'll just put a coat of wax on it every couple years.
DeleteI started drinking coffee in my twenties when I was having migraines. This was before the days of the internet and there weren't any effective treatments available to treat migraines, and I somehow stumbled onto the idea of combining tylenol and coffee to treat my migraines. It was surprisingly how effective the combination of coffee and tylenol worked for me, the combination of tea or soft drinks and tylenol didn't work in the same way.
ReplyDeleteBut, coffee never makes me jittery or stimulated, it will almost put me to sleep when I have headaches, so that might be part of the reason it worked for treating migraines in my case.
After my migraines eventually went away, I just continued with drinking coffee.
I'm no coffee or tea snob, but I will say that if there is a lot of difference in the taste of different coffees and teas. Some of it is almost undrinkable, some is mediocre, and some is awesome, like every other type of food. If you get the opportunity, it might be worth trying some different coffees just in case you start getting migraines and want to try fixing them with coffee and tylenol.
I've heard others suggest trying various types until I find one that I like but I've always seen very little benefit to starting unless I need the stimulation in the morning which I apparently don't need, or like you need the medicinal effect of higher doses of caffeine, which I also don't need at this point.
DeletePeople close to me used to get in a cycle of headaches that could only be solved by high caffeine doses in the form of coffee or Excedrin pills for many years, and that dependency also plays in my mind too.
Nice table. And nicely decorated too -- without the spills and rings and stains of coffee cups. (I admit, I drink and spill my share of coffee.)
DeleteThe finish I use is pretty durable about preventing rings as long as I reapply from time to time.
DeleteI think the fact that you used the old table for 20 years mitigates any "sin" associated with throwing it away! The new one looks really good, much lighter and airier than the old one. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI do drink coffee, but weirdly, I never put my cup on the coffee table. I put it on the end table. Go figure.
Actually, this table probably weights 50% more than the old one. The solid wood top is the bulk of the weight versus the light pressed wood pulp panels of the other one.
DeleteIt is a beauty! I also like your end table set especially since they are nesting...what a great design! I like your choice of mixed woods too!
ReplyDeleteI like the visual contrast of oak and walnut. I probably would have never explored it other than that is what the plans for the nesting end tables called for when I built them. I really liked it so wanted to carry it through to this piece.
DeleteYour table is beautiful, Ed. I don't have a coffee table and I drink tea...usually Earl Grey decaffeinated. I only drink caffeine in the morning. In the evening I have either herbal tea or milk...or just water.
ReplyDeleteI have never cared for tea either though my wife will have the occasional cup.
DeleteExcellent work, Ed. Your new feet-up comfort, scattered journals, and snacking without judgment table looks like it is going to take good care of you. And another item to our list: I don't drink coffee either.
ReplyDeleteAlways one with the words Mr. Shife! "Snacking without judgement table" is perfect!
DeleteThat is beautiful, Ed! I couldn't imagine how you were going to use those circles. What a neat design. And the nesting tables are beautiful, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI tolerated coffee for most of my life. Couldn't stand the Starbucks and other chains. The couple of things I tried were so over-sweetened. So I'd just make some at home on occasion.
ReplyDeleteThen I was introduced to a local shop here where they roast their own beans. They add just enough flavor to their lattes and cappuccinos but you can still tell that it's coffee. And now it's safe to say I am addicted.
I hope I'm old enough to just stay away from the stuff for the remainder of my years. But I think it gets harder with retired people coffee clubs if I'm ever invited to join one.
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