Build Your Own Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table: An Easy DIY Project

Transform your living space with a touch of mid-century modern design! This guide will walk you through building your own Isamu Noguchi-inspired coffee table, often called a “spaceship” table, for under $80. Even with minimal woodworking skills, you can achieve a stunning piece reminiscent of Noguchi’s iconic Noguchi Table and the elegant lines of his Akari lamp series. This project provides a cost-effective way to bring high-end design into your home.

This project is designed to be approachable for beginners while still yielding a professional-looking result. While the original construction didn’t include step-by-step photos, this refreshed guide includes detailed illustrations of key steps like leg adjustment and tabletop refinishing to ensure clarity. Let’s dive in and create a beautiful and functional piece of furniture for your home!

Materials and Tools You’ll Need

Before you get started, gather all the necessary materials and tools. This will ensure a smooth and efficient building process.

Tabletop Material: 60”x60” piece of high-ply (11-15) Baltic birch plywood, or another high-quality plywood. Baltic birch offers a beautiful edge grain and superior stability.
Legs: 4’ length of 1/2” solid steel pipe (found in the weldable steel section of hardware stores, usually marked with a red tip).
Leg Brackets: 4’x 4” piece of 1/2” MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard).
Leg Feet: 1 1/4” wooden balls with a 1/2” hole (available at most craft stores). You’ll need three.
Fasteners: 1 1/4” wood screws (12).
Adhesives: All-purpose acrylic caulk, wood glue, contact cement.
Finishing: Wood stain or Danish Oil finish, Polyurethane, Shellac, or Finishing Wax.
Abrasives: Various grits of sandpaper (60, 100, 120, 150, 220).
Safety Gear: Safety glasses, safety gloves, and a dust mask.

Essential Tools:

Cutting: Circular Saw with beveling capacity (and plywood blade), Hacksaw with bi-metal blade.
Sanding: Random-orbit sander.
Drilling: Electric Drill with 1/2” and 9/64” drill bits.
Assembly: Soft rubber mallet or scrap 2x stock, Protractor, Several wood clamps, Scrap wood for clamping cauls.
Miscellaneous: Electric Tape, 1/2” wood dowels (4) (reusable), Paintbrush, Wood filler

Recommended (but not essential) Tools:

Vice
Straight-edge for use as a circular saw fence
Miter saw, Radial arm saw, or miter box
Shop vacuum

Crafting the Tabletop: Laminating and Cutting

The tabletop is the centerpiece of this project. Choosing the right plywood and laminating it correctly will ensure a strong and visually appealing surface.

Selecting Your Plywood

Since the plywood edges will be visible, opting for high-ply plywood is crucial. I recommend a 15-ply piece of 3/4” Baltic Birch, commonly used for drawer sides. Look for it at woodworking shops or lumberyards specializing in millwork. Baltic birch often comes in 60” x 60” sheets, which are less expensive and easier to transport than standard 8’x4’ sheets. A 60″ x 60″ sheet is also easier to work with and results in less waste. My sheet cost around $55.

Laminating the Top

Cutting the Plywood: Cut or have the lumberyard cut your plywood in half, following the grain. For Baltic birch, this will create two 30”x60” rectangles. If using an 8’x4’ sheet, have the pieces cut to the appropriate size.
Preparing for Lamination: Choose the best face of each piece (label them A and B) and flip them over.
Applying Contact Cement: Apply a coat of contact cement to the underside of each piece, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Typically, this involves letting the cement air-dry for about 15 minutes.
Positioning the Pieces: Evenly space four dowel rods across the glued side of piece B. These will prevent the pieces from sticking prematurely. Carefully place piece A on top of the dowel rods, aligning all edges.
Removing the Dowels and Clamping: Remove each dowel rod one at a time, pressing the two pieces together as you go. Clamp the tabletop using all your available clamps and scrap wood cauls to distribute pressure evenly. Let the laminated top dry overnight.

Cutting the Table Shape

Creating a Template: Develop a template for your tabletop using craft paper or the reverse side of wrapping paper. Refer to photos of the original Noguchi table and my adaptation for inspiration. Keep in mind the dimensions of the plywood you have and adapt accordingly. Consider the shape and length of your sofa and the space where the table will be placed. My table was 51” long by 29 3/8” tall, with side lengths of 51”, 41 1/2”, and 36 5/8”.
Transferring the Template: Transfer your edited template to the bottom (piece B) of your glued-up top, flipping it upside down for a mirror image. Using a combination square, compass, or calipers, mark a “con-triangular” identical shape 3 3/8” (or the distance between the foot of your circular saw and the 45-degree blade) smaller than the larger shape. This internal line will be your cut line.
Cutting with a Circular Saw: Outfit your circular saw with a plywood blade and set it to a 45-degree bevel. Cut the tabletop face down to prevent chipping. Cut the three long sides, then use small, repeated passes to approximate the curved angles. If your jigsaw is powerful enough, you can try using it at a 45-degree angle. Alternatively, use a table saw or band saw if available. These cuts don’t need to be perfect, as you’ll refine the shape during sanding.

Sanding and Shaping the Tabletop: Achieving a Smooth Finish

Sanding is crucial for achieving a smooth, professional finish on your coffee table. This process involves removing imperfections, shaping the edges, and preparing the wood for staining or finishing.

Repairing Gaps: Check the beveled edges of your tabletop. If there’s a gap between pieces A and B, apply wood glue to a piece of cardstock and use it to insert glue between the layers. Clamp the area with cauls, remove any excess glue, and let it dry.
Initial Sanding: Begin sanding with a rough grit sandpaper (60-grit) to shape your table. Smooth out the angled corners, attempting to replicate the 45-degree bevel along the edges. If you have a significant amount of material to remove, use a flap wheel designed for handheld grinders and a grinder adapter for your electric drill.
Progressive Sanding: Continue sanding, gradually increasing the grit of sandpaper (60-100-120-150-220) to achieve your desired smoothness. Take your time and round over the corners for comfort and safety.

Creating the Legs and Brackets: Adding Structural Integrity and Style

The legs are a defining feature of this mid-century modern coffee table. Constructing sturdy and aesthetically pleasing legs is essential for completing the project.

Making the Legs

While purchasing pre-made legs is an option, crafting your own allows for greater customization and a closer match to the Noguchi aesthetic.

Cutting the Steel Rod: Use a hacksaw with a bi-metal blade (or an angle grinder or chop saw) to cut the steel rod to the desired length. The length will depend on the height of your sofa. Use the Pythagorean theorem to determine the appropriate leg length. The leg length is the hypotenuse. For example, a 14 3/4” leg length with a 50-degree angle on the bracket will produce an approximate height of 15 1/4”, close to the 15 3/4” height of the Noguchi table. You can adjust the leg height later if needed.
Attaching the Wooden Balls: Fill the wooden balls halfway with acrylic caulk and wrap half the width of electric tape around the steel rod. Cover the tape with a thin layer of wood glue. Insert the leg into the ball, removing any excess caulk that squeezes out. Once the caulk and glue are dry, fill any remaining space with wood filler and sand away the excess.

Creating the Leg Brackets

For those without welding skills, these instructions provide a robust alternative for attaching the legs to the tabletop.

Cutting the MDF Squares: Cut three 4”x 4” squares, three 2 3/4”x 2 3/4” squares, and three 2”x2” squares from the 1/2” MDF.
Assembling the Brackets: Stack the squares atop each other, like a layered cake, and glue and clamp them together. Paint the brackets with black matte spray paint (or any color you prefer).
Creating a Drilling Jig: While the glue and paint are drying, make a jig out of a scrap piece of MDF. This jig will help you consistently drill the angle in each bracket. Experiment with different angles using a pencil as a mock leg. As mentioned earlier, my angle was approximately 50 degrees.
Drilling the Holes: Using your jig, drill 1/2” holes all the way through the brackets. If you don’t have brad-point drill bits, create a starter hole by drilling a 1/8” deep hole at 90 degrees into the bracket to prevent the bit from sliding.
Attaching the Legs to the Brackets: Using a soft mallet, force the legs into the brackets from the bottom, so the 2” square faces the ball end of the leg. The fit should be tight. If there’s too much play, wrap the edge of the leg in more black tape or fill the hole with a little wood filler. If you hammer the leg in too far, use a chisel from the reverse side to make it flush.
Priming and Painting the Legs: Prime and paint the legs (and brackets) with spray primer and two to three coats of black gloss automotive spray paint.

Assembling the Table: Putting It All Together

The final step is to bring all the components together and create your stunning mid-century modern coffee table.

Staining the Tabletop: Stain your tabletop. I used a thinned coat of “Golden Oak” Danish Oil, followed by four coats of “Natural” oil. Baltic Birch is light in color, so it will reflect the finish’s color accurately. Rub the tabletop with steel wool 15 minutes after applying the oil to prevent the grain from rising.
Applying a Finish: Instead of a polyurethane finish, I used a coat of finishing wax. The use of Danish oil and wax was common for Danish modern furniture, aligning with my intended aesthetic.
Attaching the Legs: Turn the finished tabletop upside down and roughly fit your legs. Position the balls as close to the edge of the table as possible (without sticking out) for maximum stability. Drill pilot holes into the bracket and tabletop. Secure the legs with 1 1/4” wood screws through the largest square, countersinking the screws for a sleek look. Use a black marker to color any exposed MDF.

Add feet to the legs (optional) and enjoy your new mid-century modern coffee table!

For more inspiration on incorporating Mid-Century Modern design into your home, explore resources like: