In a Tight Spot

The best solutions often come in small packages.

Compact spaces require creative solutions. Take this innovative table inside the front door of Sandra Wickham's Texas lake house. She wanted a table to grace the foyer, but the space was too small for a piece of furniture. So she and designer Charlotte Comer came up with this solution.

Charlotte found a pair of corbels (carved architectural pieces used for support) at an antiques shop in Dallas. She had the knobs cut off the back of the corbels so they would rest flat against the wall and toenailed the two together. (Note: Toenailing is a process in which you pound a nail at an angle through two pieces of wood. It is often used to connect pieces that are too thick to nail straight through.) Then builder Al Sternenburg hung the unit on the wall.

With the corbels in place, the design team used three scrap 2 x 4s to craft a curved top that doesn't obstruct the doorway. Sandra then took the top to a local metal shop and had it covered in copper to coordinate with other details in the house. As an alternative, you could use stone, wood, or tin to create a similar look.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2004
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