I posted a photo on Instagram of our breakfast nook and got a lot of questions about the table and chairs shown.
The chair on the right is from “The Anarchist’s Design Book,” and the chair on the left is a prototype lowback I built for “The Stick Chair Book” (out in October). The gateleg breakfast table, however, hasn’t been in any book or magazine.
I have uploaded a drawing of it to the SketchUp Warehouse. You can download it for free. The model is accurate, except I didn’t draw in the bevel on the underside of the top. (The bevel is 1” x 1/4”.)
The table is simply made. The legs are joined to the aprons with mortise-and-tenon joinery. The folding top is attached to the stationary top with butt hinges. And the gateleg is attached to the table’s base with butt hinges as well. The table base is attached to the wall with a French cleat. Then I screwed through the cleats to secure the whole thing – it’s more like a built-in than a piece of freestanding furniture.
The whole thing is made from soft maple and finished with the linseed oil and wax finish that my daughter Katherine makes. You can learn to cook it yourself here.
Lucy and I eat breakfast together at this table every morning and watch the sun come up over the buildings in downtown Covington. And when we have a dance party in the kitchen (it has happened) we fold the table against the wall.
— Christopher Schwarz
Beauty in simplicity. Love it, thanks for offering the SketchUp model. I’ll not tag you on Instagram when I eventually butcher this build.
It looks great. I like the svelte lines and the functionality of it. Is there a stop for the gate leg under the top?
No stop. The gateleg won’t go past 90 degrees, so it’s not a huge problem. But a dowel on the underside of the dropleaf would do the trick
Shrewd, and well executed!
Great material and perfect execution elevate any piece, even the simple one that were born out of necessity.
I also hung up in my living room 2 of the 4 bookshelves I built following the same design, nice. Great minds think alike 😜
Very suave and elegant, the view would make me feel confined.
Inspired combination of simple to execute techniques. This has my mind working. I’ve long hated our kitchen table. Thank you!
I’m more interested in the Covington view. The fountain, that elegant white structure. How old is that architecture?
Our neighborhood’s buildings were constructed mostly between 1870 and 1900.
Hmm, about the same time as my grandparents
Is the table a little tilt because of the narrow base and the width/weight of the leaf on one side? Or you just wanted it extra secure?
Sorry I’m not following the question. I’m dumb sometimes.
Forgot to add screwed to the French cleat
Lovely!
That table has a very satisfying design, and the first photo’s nice for highlighting it. Good light..
Kudos.
Great table design, and great view of a nice neighborhood. I fondly remember visiting Covington and the storefront during WIA 2016.
An interesting design! And forgive me for asking here (as all the relevant posts have closed comments) but have you ever come across boarded Dutch tool chests? Or do they all have dovetails?
Oh sure. I’ve seen nailed ones before on Dutch eBay.
Interesting! I am planning to make a boarded Dutch tool chest using the construction method for your boarded tool chest from the Anarchists Design Book. A shame it won’t be ready in time for your book!
Chris: Really like the bookshelf above the table, simple attractive and functional. Thanks for an idea.
Gerry
I was reading this again, because, you know, coffee time and table thoughts. When you say you “screwed through the cleats,” are you saying that you screwed up through the bottom (wall) cleat into the upper cleat? I’m dense sometimes.
Yes
Sorry for my previous inaccuracy. Love the gate leg design. The base of the table appears narrow to stabilize the length and weight of the folding leaf. Would the table stand on it’s on or would it likely fall over without the french cleat or being screwed through the french cleat?
It likely would be OK as long as you didn’t put all your weight on one corner of the dropleaf. But to be honest, I didn’t use it at all until I screwed it to the wall. Sorry.
Thanks
Armrests on breakfast table chairs ?
How louche.
“…dance party in the kitchen…” ?
Downright decadent.
Useful table design idea, tho’ 🙂
Eminently practical that the smaller portion of the table surface is permanent, so there is a place for a toaster, condiments and other assorted clutter that ends up living on this most familiar of furnishings.
I’m curious about the finish you used here. I’m in the early stages of building a breakfast nook table for our growing family, and am still debating what sort of finish I’m going to use. I love the idea of using a linseed oil and wax as the finish, since it is so easy to apply, and easy to refresh, and non-toxic. But it seems like conventional wisdom would say that this sort of finish isn’t really durable enough for a heavily used table. (especially with two small children in the home). How have you found this to hold up for a table you use every day? Does it just need a little refresh now and then?
When film finishes fail they look terrible. Crazed, flaky and even milky. But until they fail, they look pretty good.
The finishes I prefer look better with miles on them. Oil, wax, linseed oil paint etc. But oil and wax offer little protection and require maintenance.
It’s a different aesthetic.
I use oil/wax on my kitchen countertops, which take a beating. I reapply the finish once a year. Yes, I get marks and patina. And I like it.
Sorry I cannot give you definitive answer.
I like the chairs and the table but what I’m intrigued about is the floor. Is it oak? How do you maintain it? Probably not the questions you expected but I’m weird like that.