Rustic coffee table, how sweet the look of coffee stains upon your nook 🙂 My feeble attempt at a little poetic license. Seriously though, I love rustic coffee tables because they’re part of the whole recycle and environmental movement. At least some of them are and I’ll be showcasing some of those.
But what exactly is a rustic coffee table? I mean your idea might be completely different to mine in which case you won’t have a clue about what this blabbering fool is on about. So I searched high and low and came up with this definition from good ol’ Merriam Webster for the word rustic: “of, relating to, or suitable for the country”. It goes on to give a few more interpretations but I think that definition of rustic will apply nicely to our discussion of the rustic coffee table.
Expanding the definition of rustic coffee table
In my mind, I’d expand on that definition just a smidge and include things that might remind you earlier or country living and to me that includes recycling, re-finishing, re-purposing etc. And to me, this is where all the fun can be had in finding a rustic wood coffee table for your home.
For example, many an antique coffee table for example I would consider as a rustic coffee table. Especially if you have to do a little refinishing to it and perhaps leave it somewhat unfinished if you know what I mean. I’ve included an example in the photo of what a rustic, unfinished look might be. I love it. In fact there is probably no greater joy than trolling through yard sales and farmers markets looking for that perfect rustic coffee table.
Making your own rustic coffee table
In fact, if you’re particularly handy, you can often find reclaimed planks of wood and make your own rustic coffee table. I think this is what a lot of artisans are doing now. It’s better for the environment and for the trees, plus it gives a great look to these rustic coffee tables, so much so that you could consider these tables contemporary coffee tables with how much interest there is in them today. And one of the benefits of making your own rustic coffee table is that you get to make it however you want. Make it a large coffee table, a square coffee table or even an oval coffee table. It doesn’t really matter. You can make it a pine coffee table or an oak coffee table, depending on the type of wood you’re able to reclaim.
If you’re not that handy but you’d still like a rustic coffee table, another great suggestion is to head out into the country on a weekend and go looking for yard sales or even artisans who might be living out there and making furniture. You’ll be amazed and pleased with the type of gold you’ll haul back from them thar hills 🙂 I’ve done this myself and it is amazing if you spend several hours just touring around what is available.
Another style of coffee table that is certainly rustic and most often hand crafted is the wrought iron coffee table. I love this piece of furniture, especially when it has a wooden face.
You can also of course look for a rustic coffee table in neighborhood furniture stores or even online. However, most of these rustic coffee tables have been mass produced, even if hand made so that each one is not dissimilar to the next one. Although you can often find good prices with them, you can also be gouged depending on the popularity or “design” of the rustic coffee table. My best suggestion would be to take a drive out into the country if you’d like authentic rustic furniture. Or troll yard sales and antique and unusual furniture stores. This will be the best way you’ll find that rustic coffee table you’ll love.