sirwin – Page 11 – Modern Legs

Posted on June 24, 2013November 29, 2013 by sirwin

DIY Furniture Project – Redwood Coffee Table

We’re big supporters of the DIY furniture movement, and we believe that anyone with some basic tools and an idea can build a beautiful piece of furniture for the home or as a gift. However, there might be something even more inspiring than building a new piece of DIY furniture. How about resurrecting an old piece of furniture? We sold a set of hairpin legs to Mary, and when she finished up her home furniture restoration project, she sent us a photo. Here is Mary’s “new” coffee table, and the quote she sent along with it.

“We were given a handmade redwood table with very thick wood stump legs. After sanding down the black varnish on the top and replacing the stumps with hairpin legs, we now love our one of a kind table. Thank you for having the legs to make this transformation possible.”

Mary

After all, anyone can order a coffee table online or pick one out at a furniture warehouse, but now Mary and her family can enjoy their new coffee table and let everyone who compliments it know they made that table! We’re glad our hairpin legs could help complete her DIY furniture project, and thanks to Mary for sending us a photo of the finished product.

Posted on June 18, 2013November 29, 2013 by sirwin

Bench Made with Modern Bench Legs

We just received a note and some great photos from Travis who bought some tube steel bench supports from us and created a great modern bench! His DIY furniture project turned out great and now he was a sleek professional-looking piece of furniture and he can take the credit for creating his own furniture.

We think the bench turned out great, and here is what Travis had to say:

Thank you for making those legs for me…I think it turned out great and I couldn’t have done it without those custom bench legs.

-Travis

We love seeing these projects, and we’re happy to show your amazing creations off to the world. If you’re wrapping up a project with our bench supports or hairpin legs, send us some photos!

Posted on June 13, 2013 by sirwin

Julie’s Live Edge Desk with Flat Bar Desk Supports

We just received a note from Julie thanking us for sending her a set of custom flat bar desk supports. She added them to a beautiful plank of wood which uses the live edge as part of the cut. We think Julie did a great job with her DIY desk using our custom supports and we love hearing from our customers and seeing what they make using our supports and legs. If you have a project you’ve just finished, send us a photo!

Posted on June 11, 2013November 29, 2013 by sirwin

What is Mid-Century Modern Furniture?

“Mid-Century Modern” is a big category, and refers to a sweeping design movement from the 1930s to the 1960s. This movement and the aesthetic it created can refer to architecture, product design, industrial design and furniture design. The term itself was used during the 1950s, but was brought back to the forefront by Cara Greenberg, who used the term in her book, Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s. The movement is often overshadowed by the giants of the time, including Frank Lloyd Wright and Oscar Niemeyer, but many of the lasting objects and ideas from the Mid-Century modern movement are found right in the homes and offices around us, and were created by less well known designers.

The look of the furniture being created during the Mid-Century movement was more simple and sleek than previous designs. Designers also branched out into a variety of materials. Plastic was the new medium of the day, but many furniture designers were created beautiful, clean designs from wood, metal and fabric. Popular designs which originated in Scandinavia, Europe, South America and North America used minimal decoration and smooth curves to create new furniture sets and standalone pieces.

So what is a Mid-Century modern table leg and how does it tie into the theme of Mid-Century modern furniture? There are many styles of modern table legs, and there are a few big groups when it comes to the Mid-Century modern category. Many of the furniture from the Mid-Century period was set on tapered wood or metal legs, sometimes featuring feet on the bottom of the leg. Hairpin legs were also created during this period and have been an enduring symbol of Mid-Century modern design. All of these modern furniture leg designs have been used for tables, chairs and furniture. The defining feature of these modern leg styles was the consistent simplicity and clean design of the finished pieces, and the legs were an integral part of the modern furniture movement.

Needless to say, our product lines are all based on this Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, and are born from the modern furniture designs of last century. We’re proud to keep the tradition of Mid-Century modern furniture and hardware alive in the 21st century. If you have a furniture style you’d like to see made by the craftsmen at Modern Legs, let us know!

Posted on May 28, 2013 by sirwin

Where Did Hairpin Legs Come From?

Hairpin legs for chairs and tables have been around for over seventy years and we get asked all the time where the design came from. There is sometimes a bit of confusion about the origin, so today we’re addressing the question: Where did hairpin legs come from? The story begins in 1941, when a young designer named Henry P. Glass agreed to create a line of outdoor furniture with Russel Wright, an established industrial designer. Wright was launching a new collection called “American Way”, and the two teamed up to create something new. The furniture was to be made from wrought iron and Glass created a set of designs that were simple, fresh and caught the eye of many in the furniture world. The line gathered accolades in furniture trade magazines and Alfred Auerbach, editor in chief of Home Furnishings, referred to the collection as: the “Hairpin Group” because of the unique legs found on the tables and chairs. The hairpin legs designed by Glass marked the beginning of a trend, and many pieces were created with the hairpin style incorporated.

Although Glass patented over fifty of this designs, the hairpin leg style was not patented and has been used by Hans Knoll, Charles Eames and other renowned furniture designers over the ensuing decades. For those of us who are passionate about mid century modern furniture and home accents, we consider this an enormous gift. Henry Glass created a simple, modern design and whether it was by happenstance or with clear intent, the design is not the property of one man or corporation. Here at Modern Legs, we’re still paying homage to the original design, and we’re proud to see so many beautiful pieces of furniture include the hairpin leg style.

Posted on May 20, 2013November 29, 2013 by sirwin

DIY Patio Furniture Ideas

Here in Colorado, our snowy spring is clearing up and turning into a beautiful early summer. We love the sunsets on the front range, and after a long day at work, what could be better than grilling or relaxing on the patio? Well, you could be eating with the family or relaxing on patio furniture you made yourself! We love helping our customers create amazing, original pieces of outdoor patio furniture at a fraction of the usual cost. So here are a few easy patio furniture ideas for anyone with a few basic tools and a desire to own beautiful wood and steel outdoor patio furniture.

We’ve seen some amazing outdoor benches made from our original flat bar steel bench supports, as well as our new rectangular tube bench supports. All you’ll need to get started is a piece of wood you’d like to turn into a bench, a screwdriver and a tape measure. In most communities, your local lumber yard will sell rough cut lumber at very reasonable prices, so do a little Googling and see what is available. A little sanding and a coat of varnish are good options, but an unfinished look can work as well.

Once you have your lumber, you’ll need to take a few measurements and decide what will give your outdoor bench the support it needs. We recommend bench supports for most long pieces of furniture, but hairpin legs can work on many projects as well. Once your legs or supports arrive in the mail, it’s as easy as affixing the legs and you’re done!

Another project we’ve seen more than a few of our customers pull together quickly for the patio is a repurposed door as a unique piece of outdoor furniture. Again, you’ll need to find a door you’d like to turn into a patio or poolside table. Reclaimed building supply warehouses, flea markets and antique stores can be an excellent source for do-it-yourself furniture materials. Then you’ll want to decide what kind of table legs will best accent your piece. Classic hairpin legs or three rod hairpin legs are a great choice. Some of our customers like the angular look of the square bar hairpin legs, or the tapered angle iron legs…but that’s up to you! So, we hope these patio furniture ideas help you get started on your next furniture project, and when you’re finished, send us photos of your DIY furniture project.

Posted on May 13, 2013November 26, 2013 by sirwin

Kimi’s Kitchen Table with Hairpin Legs

It’s hard to say enough about the creative group of people we’ve come across in our community. Kimi bought a few pairs of hairpin legs from us, and look what she put together for her kitchen! It’s a wonderfully finished set of Douglas fir boards which she added some 3 rod hairpin legs to. If you recall, Kimi is also the creative mind who build this matching set of kitchen and coffee tables with square bar hairpin legs. We’re so glad she’s turning our modern legs into modern furniture…keep up the good work Kimi!

If you have a DIY furniture project you’re planning or have just finished, share your photos with us and we’ll make sure you get a shout out on the blog.

Posted on April 20, 2013 by sirwin

Stem Furniture and Modern Legs

Remember back in January when we posted about some of the beautiful table designs coming out of Stem Furniture in the San Francisco Bay area? We got an email this week from the owner, Danny, and he has some new tables on the site featuring hairpin legs from Modern Legs! Here are three examples of Stem’s tables, featuring Just the Tip hairpin legs, square bar hairpin legs and classic hairpin legs.

We said it back in January, and we’ll say it again: it’s great to see the raw natural beauty of solid hardwood furniture teamed up with the simple style of mid century modern legs. The wood deserves the attention and our hairpin legs provide a simple contrast and a framework for a beautiful coffee table or end table.

Our hat is off to Danny at Stem Furniture and we encourage everyone to use salvaged, rough cut or reclaimed wood to start a project of their own.

Posted on March 7, 2013November 29, 2013 by sirwin

Susi’s Bulletproof Coffee Table

Modern Legs is happy to relay some images and comments from another happy customer! We just received some details about the build and some photos to share in our inbox this weekend. To surprise his wife, Susi’s husband bought four 16 inch square bar hairpin legs to add to a coffee table he had been planning for a few months. He came across two solid oak table leaves from a dining room table, and knew he’d like to turn it into a new piece of do it yourself furniture. The wood was already sanded, stained and in beautiful condition, so the last step was getting a frame to mount the wood on, and four simple hairpin legs to tie everything together.

Because the wood was in two pieces, he used a steel frame for better stability, and adding the steel hairpin legs was the perfect final touch. The coffee table was a big hit with Susi, and since the table is solid oak and steel, Susi calls it her “beautiful bulletproof table”. We’re glad to hear she’s happy, and we’re excited to see another successful project made with Modern Legs.

If you’re curious about how you can make something with hairpin legs, or are looking for some great modern designs, follow the Modern Legs blog, or friend us on Facebook.