So now I have a problem. I need to make it higher. Casters would help a little but not nearly enough to bring it up to normal height. So what do I do? Help!
Man Cave: Coffee Table Conundrum
So you might be wondering whats going on in the man cave. I was very excited to share the arrival of the new marble topped coffee table with you. I love the movement in the stone and the shiny base. Sadly I never thought to measure the height of the table and I'm left with a big problem. The coffee table is way too low!
So now I have a problem. I need to make it higher. Casters would help a little but not nearly enough to bring it up to normal height. So what do I do? Help!
So now I have a problem. I need to make it higher. Casters would help a little but not nearly enough to bring it up to normal height. So what do I do? Help!
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Can you send it back? Maybe you'll fall in love with something else...or could you use it as a side table?
ReplyDeleteI would build (or have built) a round wood base for the table to make it the height you need. You may just have to drill into the bottom of the frame to keep it steady. You could paint the base white, or maybe the opposite, paint a dark grey wood base to mimic the lines in the marble top. Then you will have a place to put stuff under the table (magazines/small basket with remotes) without it being on the floor.
ReplyDeleteI probably could have if I had put it up when I received it but with Christmas craziness, I didn't get a chance. I think its too late now.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have the skills to build a round base for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm having a hard time coming up with a solution. Obviously you don't want to change it too much, bc then it'll look completely different. Maybe try and find really big casters to really add height. Or, maybe you build a wood bottom, maybe like a reclaimed bar wood look, which could look very good because it's so different from the original piece. You could build the bottom up a couple of inches, then add coasters to that. Other that just return and look for a taller one. good luck! And I hope you get to come by my blog today, I'm having a pillow cover giveaway!
ReplyDeleteWe could custom design a new coffee table base and secure to coffee table.. This would increase to proper height and would accommodate other misc. Items for storage...
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could weld a few 'legs' on, extending the vertical pieces. You would have a round metal ring, with the legs on both sides. Or maybe you could figure out a stable way to attach without welding. Then, you could spray paint the added legs for a pop of color and you wouldn't have to worry about matching the chrome base...
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing as some of these folks: a round wood base (totally solid or with a drawer for function) would be perfect. You'd probably have to get it custom (but you've done that before with your shore house). Keeping it natural, warm wood (especially if it could look like salvaged) would go great in contrast with that cold chrome. Plus, with an open middle (from the original legs), the hubs would have even more room to store something and keep the area still looking nice.
ReplyDeleteIf you go the casters route, maybe you could find a 33" round blank from Home Depot or the like. You cut put it under the marble, maybe paint the visible edge. It would only add ~1", but it's a start.
ReplyDeleteIf you can return it, I highly recommend the sleek round marble top coffee table from Wisteria. It is 19" high. Mine arrived last week (Merry Christmas to me) and I am really loving it! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteEek. The table is beautiful but oh so vertically challenged. I like Amanda's idea of welding on some legs. Got a blow torch? Kidding. And there's absolutely no way to send it back?
ReplyDeleteI think I would call CB2 and ask about returning and replacing with the elements coffee table.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cb2.com/accent-tables/furniture/element-coffee-table/f4977
It is 3" higher and a great piece for the man cave. Trying to heighten the other table is too much work!
Put beautiful items on the table to bring the height up visually. You could put larger items because it wouldn't interfere with the television.
ReplyDeleteI would leave alone and just add another round coffee table -maybe out of wood {a little more rustic....have this one just sit kinda underneath a little like a nesting table set? just a thought...
ReplyDeleteUggghh! I have noticed this problem lately with some of the companies that are more on trend. It makes sense with a really low-slung sofa, but that's about it. My only thought is casters plus a thick cushion for the top - making it more of an ottoman ... which means you'd lose the marble. Not ideal by any means. Anything else I can think of would probably cost more than it's worth. I would probably try to return it, and if that doesn't work, sell it and cut my losses.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, all CB2 coffee tables are low to accommodate low CB2 sofas. I would affix sleek oversized casters to add four or so inches to the height. If you're really unhappy with it, and it's been less than 30 days, CB2 should take the item back, issuing CB2/Crate&Barrel store credit at the very least. You don't necessarily have to act within the 7-day window that they give you. I hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's short!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought if you want to keep the table is to see how the legs attach between the two metal rings, and see if they can be taken off and have new legs made and attached. Maybe they screw on and off?
I would talk to CB2 and see if you can convince them to take it back. Try it. More often than not they will understand. Refer them to your blog. The fact that you have presence on the web has impact, particularly if they do right by you.
ReplyDeleteIf that doesn't work, look at Room and Board. They do a lot of stonetop and separate base tables. I used to see them at their outlet here all the time. Maybe they have a base you can work with. Then you could always sell the CB2 base on (gulp) Craigslist.
I wish CB2 would consider taking a look at how impractical and uncomfortable their furnishings are. Low seating, low tables. Not good unless you are built low to the ground. Form over function never a good idea.
Good luck!
How many inches do you need? Anything you do might well cost more than the table is worth. But, just for fun...if you build a rough box for the marble part to sit on (hard to see if there is support for it under there, but perhaps a round piece of plywood, then the box, then the marble? And then perhaps use foam to hide the box and create a circular shape. Then affix veneer to the foam? Building a round box would be too much $.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I'd return it or Craigslist it if not. Gonna cost too much to hack it.
I think that trying to change the base would look a little slapped together. I would try to remove the marble top as others have mentioned and make or have made a simple new bottom.
ReplyDeleteOrder more marble tops and stack them on top. Or get one thick piece for the top. Maybe call someone & explain you couldn't deal with this as you were out of the country etc. You should have 30 days I believe to let them know.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of feet does your sofa have? Any chance that the combination of swapping them out for something smaller and adding casters to the table will make a difference?
ReplyDeleteCasters will make it slide or move when he is watching a game, eating a snack, drinking a beer and wanting to prop his feet up. I would try sending it back. Y
ReplyDeleteMy first thought is to use a wine barrel. Since the table is 33" in diameter and wine barrels are usually 28" it could be a nice fit. Here is a website of a company http://www.usedwinebarrels.com/planter_barrels.htm that sells half barrels. This option could be as much as $80.
ReplyDeleteWhat about adding a thick rug underneath the table? You could even add a rug pad underneath that. Maybe that in combination with the casters would help get it closer to the right height.
ReplyDeleteI think you have enough clout, given the amount of followers you have, to contact CB2 and offer them an opportunity to show off what great customer service they can give.
ReplyDeleteMaybe another thick marble round underneath? Sorta like this? http://beaufurn.com/products/detail/white-carrara-marble-table-tops/25/ but thicker, then add legs....
ReplyDeleteMost casters have a locking mechanism, though...
ReplyDeleteChop off the couch legs... :-)
ReplyDeleteYou need a metal-working shop, and they'll probably have ideas too , besides practical input. I would go for an extra layer of ???? between the top and the base, maybe duplicating the rim and the legs?
ReplyDeleteI'm in agreement with several other commenters. Best choice would be to return it and shop for another one. Next would be sell it on Craigslist or Ebay and shop for another one. I think custom fabricating a solution would look awkward at best and be expensive at worst.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read through all the comments to see if someone already suggested this, but you could order another one and stack the two bases. Obviously not the most budget-friendly idea, but it might give the look and height you're after!
ReplyDeleteI wanted that same CB2 Marble table ($299.00) ages ago and I never bough it for the height issue. Please let me if you come up with another solution for using it, because I looked everywhere and I could not find anything similar out there less than $700-800.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I don't want to return it - I just want it to be the right height b/c I just love the look and shape otherwise.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm not help if casters aren't enough. That's immediately what I thought of. Can you use it somewhere else in the man cave and get a new coffee table? Is there another place in the house you can tuck the table?
ReplyDeleteI would take the legs off the couch...It looks higher than normal. Have you thought about cutting a thick piece of wood the size of the marble and affixxing the marble to it and faux painting the sides so it looks like super thick marble?
ReplyDeleteWe have the peekaboo cocktail table from CB2 and it's the same way - very short. We have it in our secondary seating area though so it works for us because it's not where we are at all the time. What about leaving it as a coffee table (he can put his feet on it, throw the remotes on it, etc) and get a small side table where he can set a drink/snacks.
ReplyDeleteYour husband may hate the idea, but could you use a rectangle lucite table over it? Or maybe a glass table with chrome? You may be able to find an inexpensive table on Craigslist. It will look as though you intended it to be that way instead of an oops...
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you could use a cut bit of towel bar (i.e. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Square-Towel-Bar-36-In-4WML3 ) just to extend the vertical lines as high as you need...not sure if you can weld, but done on the inside it wouldn't be seen as easily. I don't know if there would be any other way to attach them. Also i don't know the width of the bars, but maybe it could work.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what kind of craftsmen you have available to you, but what about cutting through the legs and having something put in there to add the height? Chrome balls, or Lucite spheres or something colored to compliment the room color or sofa?
ReplyDeleteYou may also be able to find a similar, but taller base on Craigslist - it'd solve the entire problem.
ReplyDeleteJust last night I was Googling DIY patio stuff using concrete, like this table (http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Outdoor-Projects/Patio/Patio-Furniture/how-to-build-an-outdoor-table) and candle pillars (http://inmyownstyle.com/2011/08/how-to-make-a-restoration-hardware-concrete-fire-column.html).
ReplyDeleteSo what if you used those projects as a starting point and made a circular concrete base that the CB2 coffee table sits on top of? You could color the concrete to coordinate with the marble top or use a veining technique to mimic the marble. It also allows you to determine exactly how high you want the coffee table to be. And not only is concrete wallet-friendly, but its masculine feel would be perfect for a man cave. Of course, you'd have to figure out a way to affix the coffee table to the concrete base and fine-tune it so that the whole apparatus looks like it's one completed furniture piece.
I think adding a thick rug under the table (and not the couch) would help, along with casters. I wouldn't return it, either!
ReplyDeleteI am not exactly sure how big the diameter of the table is, but the first thing that came to my mind was this: Go to a factory that uses big spools of wire and ask if you can either have or cheaply purchase some of the ones that no longer store wire. If you cut the center of the spool out, you can stack the end circles. You would only need 3 or spools (because each have 2 end circles) and a coat of glue between. And to save money of a rich, dark stain (the only one I can imagine with this table), you could only satin the outside rim of the stack and both the ends. Cheap, affordable, and very chic.
ReplyDeleteOr 4 is what that's supposed to say!
ReplyDeleteI have read a few comments and your responses ...seems keeping it is your desire. So i don't know what others have said about wheels ..but what about going to the big box or farm supply for wheels. In the barn my daughter uses we had to put a wheel on a wide 1/2 door. It is very shiny silver (like your base) with a black wheel. Very industrial...only thing is it does have a spring but there are others that don't.It is about 8" tall. Would that help?
ReplyDeleteYour style is wonderful...hope you can find a solution!
what about these?
ReplyDeleteDoes there appear to be a way to take the top off? Perhaps there is a way to add a spacer between the top and bottom. Depending on how much height you have to add you might not notice it because you could have it inset a bit, like the overhang of a counter, so you only notice it if you are down lower. Or if you cant inset it, you may be able to find a material to use where it looks like it came that way so even if you see the spacer, perhaps it will be a bit more subtle than adding something to the bottom of the entire table.
ReplyDeleteI would take a picture and dimensions (take the dimensions off of the website) to a metal fabricator and have another base made to the correct height. They do amazing work.
ReplyDeleteYou will need to give it a base. I still would have casters though...they would be concealed by the base. You have just given yourself extra storage for books and magazines. Don't feel bad I did the same thing once but made the table too high. No fix for that one!! You at least have an option!!!!
ReplyDeleteTell hubs to man up! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he can handle bending just a little further down to put his beer down? He does have his own man cave to be happy for afterall!
I hope this isn’t beating a dead horse, but I found metal ball casters that are 2 1/2 tall inches and they’re gorgeous.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.grainger.com/Grainger/ERWAGNER-Caster-1TRG6?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Material%20Handling-_-Casters%20and%20Wheels-_-1TRG6&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=1TRG6
Furniture retailers are making sofas and tables really low right now.
ha! I just might do that very thing. I know most people are suggesting to return it but Im not sure if I can find anything Ill like more in the space.
ReplyDeleteVery true. There are worse problems to have :)
ReplyDeleteHere is n economical suggestion...Lowes or Home Depot sell ready made round wood tops to make tables. Find the correct diameter for your base. Stain it a dark ebony -screw in casters with locks or stain some bun feet-also ready made at Lowes or HD and place your very cool table on the base. MANLY.
ReplyDeleteHow high did you want to raise the table top? 4-6 inches? I know a typical coffee table is at least 16" tall, but sometimes they go as high as 21". The 12" height of this coffee table makes it difficult to add only casters and a rug, if adding casters would even be possible. When seeing it in the store in Georgetown, I asked the employees for ideas, but I had no luck.
ReplyDeleteHmm. This one is a challenge, for sure!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was a square base, like a podium for the coffee table. I know ... it's round ... but could a tight square base or even rectangular base (to mimick the couch proportions) help?
I liked the idea another commenter had of finding a marble base to set it on top of, but that could get pricey. I wonder if you could find a metal worker to make a few more similar rings like on the bottom.
Crazy idea ... if you can't make the coffee table meet the couch, make the couch meet the coffee table? Can you remove the feet of the couch and make it a few inches shorter to the ground by adding shorter ones?
This is the problem I have with CB2 - their furniture is really pretty and the prices are great, but it's all reeeeally low. The couches are all barely off the ground, the coffee tables are maybe 12" high and even their dining tables are an inch or so below what seems to be standard. It's really frustrating and makes me not even consider them.
ReplyDeleteThere are some cool casters here. Some up to 6 5/16" tall.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mockett.com/furniture-hardware/furniture-legs-casters/casters
I have your solution...but I don't think it will be cheap. You need a second layer for the table top. Contact the supplier, ask to buy an additional table top or get a similar marble top (maybe in black) from a stone supplier. Get 4 large wood pegs or dowels of equal length and 4 chrome pipes of slightly larger diameter but maybe a 1/16 of inch shorter. Mark off four spots for the ends of the pegs on the bottom of the new table top. Match up spots on the top of the coffee table. Use a heavy duty epoxy to adhere the pegs in place on the coffee table vertically. These will be the core supports for the secondary table top. Once those are cured. Slide the chrome sleeves over the pegs. Epoxy the top of the pegs. Place the top on the pegs where you marked them previously. Let cure. Now you have a shelf on your table and the table is a better height.
ReplyDeleteThats a very good idea. If I could figure out how to hold it up with chrome legs instead of wood, I think that would look pretty cool too.
ReplyDeleteThat's why you sleeve the wood pegs in the chrome tube. You want the weight of the table top on the wood cores but the chrome sleeve gives you the matching element to the base. By making them a 1/16 or 1/32 inch shorter than the peg core the weight will rest on the wood core but the gap won't be seen unless somebody is on their hands and knees. A word of caution, this will increase the weight of the table dramatically so you might want to put some sort of protector for the floor. Most general stores sell little 'stick on' felt and rubber protector pads that you can use.
ReplyDeleteWhat about placing the coffee table on a round base (like what you'd find on a round dining table) that would raise the table to your desired height? The metal base of the table would give the appearance that it's floating. (You'd really have to get down on your hands & knees to see the hidden base). It's a cheap option, and if you don't like the finished look you can go to plan b: casters or plan c: store credit.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to let us know what you finally choose.
ReplyDeleteWhat about adding legs to the bottom of the lower rung with the same width and polish as the rest of the metal? That way you can add as much height as you like and still keep the same exact feel of the table. I'm not sure about the material, but do you know anyone who works with metal? They could probably add these for you with enough structure to sustain the weight.
ReplyDeleteBuild the poor little guy a platform?? That is very sad. The metal base makes it difficult to figure out.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of industrial casters and am hpoing in the near future to get to work on our man cave, and because of our grandkids I also love and have round coffee/end tables, anyhow eith you dilemma I would love to see how it would look with a pallet base, cut in the same shape and size as the current chrome base, paint the pallet black, the black pallet would create a visual break from your cool rug (if you want see through may have to use thick acrylic base - 2 pieces with chrome leg dividers to add height) and back to the pallet idea, then add large industrial casters underneath, can't wait to see which way you go, best of luck!!
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to let us know what you finally choose.
ReplyDelete