Fauxbius Table

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Issue 43

The Small Spaces Issue

Buy Your First Home
Southern BBQ, City Style
A-Frame House
Bikes of Portland

Fauxbius Table

by Sean Michael Ragan

Photos by Kritsada

Fake a high-end look with dowels and plumbing supply components.

Maker: Sean Michael Ragan
The site: iamanangelchaser.com
Age: 30
Where: Austin, Texas
Day Job: Freelance furniture designer
Why: Wanted a knockoff

“I’m what you’d call a window-shopper when it comes to modern furniture. As much as I like to peruse design catalogs I just can’t imagine paying the prices. So when I came across a coffee table with a cool-looking endless looping base, I figured I could come up with a similar version without shelling out $600—or anywhere close to that. Originally, I thought I’d use PVC wyes for the corners. But when I was poking around the hardware store I stumbled across some aluminum hose goosenecks in the plumbing-supply aisle. I don’t know what the heck they’re supposed to be used for, but they fit 7⁄8-inch dowels perfectly. I pieced together the goosenecks and dowels I stained and added a glass top. For $65, I had my ‘Fauxbius’ side table.”

1. Cut the dowel rods

Measure, mark, and cut dowels so you have three 20-inch-long pieces and three 143⁄4-inch-long pieces. (The excess won’t be used.) Use the rag to rub stain on the dowels, or paint them. Let dry. If desired, rub linseed oil on each stained dowel. The linseed oil seals the stained wood against moisture and gives a satiny finish. Let dry.

2. Assemble the base

Insert the 20-inch-long dowels into the “long arms” of the goosenecks and the 143⁄-inch-long dowels into the “short arms” of the goosenecks. Connect the pieces to create one continuous table base, as shown in the diagram below. Top with the glass.