Category: Customer Photos

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Can You Guess the Wood in Robert’s Hairpin Leg Table?

We were amazed at the green hues in this amazing wood. Robert made this console table from a living edge slab of rare wood. Any guesses what it is? Many of us have eaten the nuts from this tree but not many have seen the wood in person. It’s pistachio! That makes the green coloring a little more explainable, but not all pistachio wood is this colored. This is a truly amazing specimen.

exotic console table with twist hairpin table legs

Live edge wood is always unique but even more so in this case. Not many folks have seen pistachio wood or even a pistachio tree so keeping the live edges really tells the story of this wood. It is fun to picture the size of the tree it must have come from. The dark coloring of remaining bark perfectly blends into the Twist hairpin legs. Choosing the style of hairpin legs can really change the overall image of the table. The taller height required of console tables necessitates a tall set of hairpin legs. This additional height allows for the metal legs to really show what they’re made of and be an artistic part of the furniture. We think the dark set of Twist hairpin legs is perfect on this table. We’re glad Robert is happy with them too:

Your outstanding legs compliment an equally outstanding piece of pistachio. Thank you so much for your creative and solid craftsmanship and outstanding service.

Thanks for sharing, Robert. We’re glad you had the opportunity to work with this amazing live edge slab wood. Excellent finished product!

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Todd’s Hairpin Leg Table and Metal Leg Bench

In part one of our feature on Todd’s live edge furniture, we talked about styles of hairpin table legs. Today we wanted to share how Todd used hairpin legs and metal bench legs to make a matching (but not identical) set of DIY furniture.

side table with hairpin table legs entryway bench with metal bench legs

Though there are many similarities between the pieces its striking how different the two pieces look simply by choosing different metal leg styles. Both hairpin legs and the bench legs are beautiful, functional, and durable. But they have totally different looks. The solid construction of the flat bar bench legs imparts a solid and sturdy look to the bench as a whole. The hairpin legs are just as durable as the bench legs, but we find that their thin construction doesn’t draw the eye to the legs much, meaning the tabletop is the star of the piece. What a perfect use on a small bench by the front door. The natural shape of the live edge slab looks perfect against the stone siding on this house. All in all, an excellent addition to this home!

The choice of where to place furniture in the house can be a fun one! Some folks like similar hairpin leg furniture all in the same room. For example, we’ve seen matching end tables and a coffee table all in the living room. Hairpin leg furniture throughout the house is another great option. The metal leg furniture right outside the home will look great with the second piece inside the house. What a great way to distribute the natural look of wood throughout the house.

Thanks for sharing Todd!

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Todd’s Console Tables with Hairpin Table Legs

Todd made these amazing console tables, and although it probably wasn’t his intention, it’s a great example of how different hairpin table legs can change the look of a table. Both tables are made with live edge slab wood and hairpin table legs. The two hairpin leg styles Todd chose are the twist hairpin legs and the “Just the Tip” hairpin legs. Each style is a modern furniture leg made of solid steel rod, but the way these rods are shaped gives each it’s completely different look.

live edge console with footed hairpin table legs live edge console with twisted hairpin table legs

We’re often asked what differences there are between hairpin leg styles. Most obvious is the appearance. Different styles work best for different tabletops, areas of the house, and most importantly, preference. Preference is usually the deciding factor in your finished product. A few styles of metal legs offer additional weight support if that is a deciding factor in your project. Bench legs, 3 rod hairpin legs, and Just the Tip hairpin legs offer the most weight support. The Just the Tip hairpin legs seems more stable in appearance and hints at the claw foot style some of us grew up with. Though the twist hairpin leg can hold up a fair amount of weight itself, it gives a lighter more playful look to the table.

Think about what you want your final product to look like and that will help give you an idea as to what the best style of hairpin table legs will be for your project. Now you have some side-by-side images illustrate their differences. For some folks it is helpful to get an idea of how the final project will look before deciding on a hairpin leg style. When you’re finished, send us a picture of what you came up with, we’d love to see!

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Summertime is DIY Hairpin Leg Furniture Time

Summer is a great time for making that piece of DIY furniture you’ve been thinking about. The days are longer and the weather is warmer – great times to work in the garage with the door open or to be out in the yard; and nothing makes better custom furniture than metal hairpin legs.

Our customers have built hairpin leg furniture using hundred-year- old barn boards and fallen tree trunks from their own front yard – anything goes. DIY furniture resources abound, and there have never been more DIY’ers talking about turning pallets into beautiful creations, reclaiming wood, and upcycling various building materials than there are today. Hairpin legs are the perfect way to turn your earth-friendly creations into durable stylish furniture.

The hairpin leg style originated at the turn of the century and the clean, modern look is still relevant to this day. If you’re looking for a more angular feel, our square bar hairpin legs and our bench legs might be the right choice. These solid or tube steel (your choice) legs are designed to hold the weight demands of a bench, but don’t let the name hold you back – bench legs make great tables and desks as well.

Making a piece of furniture yourself gives you the ability to tailor the piece to your exact needs. Plus, it will make a great conversation piece. Perhaps you know exactly what your space needs or maybe you’re still planning out the details. But no matter what you decide, your custom hairpin leg furniture will offer you much utility and pleasure for years to come!

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William’s Reclaimed Barn Board Table with Bench Legs

closeup reclaimed table with custom bench legs

We created our custom metal bench legs to give our customers another option to build beautiful and sturdy benches. Over the years, the legs have taken on a life of their own and are now used on all kinds of amazing furniture. Bench legs are a sturdy way to create a dining room table while maximizing foot space under the table. All of our metal legs – hairpin legs and otherwise, make great tables. What makes the bench legs unique is the distinct look and strength the add to a project.

William made this table for a client was looking to combine farmhouse design with industrial strength legs. William sourced 1800’s reclaimed white oak barn board for this handsome table.

William is a Master Craftsman Woodworker that established Vintage Woodworkz in 2014. He specializes in custom furniture made from salvaged barn wood in the Midwest. This reclaimed oak table is a great example of his unique style—one that pays homage to the wood’s previous life. William told us,

The wood had a tremendous amount of character as harvested, so I wanted to maintain as much of this as possible during the fabrication process while still making the table practical to use.

Reclaimed wood is an amazing material for custom furniture projects. For this particular piece William made sure to highlight the ribbon grain of both quarter sawn planks as well as the original mill and saw marks. William goes on to tell us about the process of putting it all together,

I joined the boards by gluing them together. The breadboard ends have live edges and are attached using mortise and tendon joinery to allow for expansion and contraction of the table planks.

Balancing the original look with full functionality makes this table beautiful and practical. The finished piece is truly one of a kind! Thank you for sharing William, the bench legs perfectly highlight your expert craftsmanship!

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Katie’s Reclaimed Door Desks with Metal Table Legs

custom desks with tapered angle iron legs

Making your own hairpin leg table is as simple as finding an old door and adding hairpin legs, but one customer took the process to the next level. Katie Slater, of Katie Slater Photography, used our angle iron metal legs to make the desk that best fit her office and her design. She topped vintage doors with glass for a clean sharp look.

Here’s what Katie said about her process:

The table tops are vintage salvage doors that I sanded down and painted white. I ordered custom glass for the tops of the tables. 🙂 I love them and I love the legs! Thank you!

Thanks Katie, great work! One of the best things about DIY furniture projects is that you can make the finished product as simple or elaborate as you want. We offer many custom metal table legs, and we’re always open to new suggestions. Our hairpin legs mimic turn of the century modern style. Katie chose our tapered angle iron legs for her projects. They offer a straight sleek look that offer a lot of strength and stability while using minimal space. Whichever style of you choose, your project will look great with any of our metal legs!

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Bob’s Custom Railroad Spike Coat Rack

railroad spike coat rack

Bob in Cleveland is back! Last week we highlighted the elm burl end table Bob made using our Twist hairpin legs. As much as we love making hairpin legs we don’t limit ourselves. We like to Say, “If it’s made of metal, chances are we can make it” …and we love taking on custom orders for anyone looking for something a little different.

Bob was looking for a custom coatrack. We were happy to get him some railroad spikes in the shape that worked for this project. Bob did the rest by pairing them up with a beautiful slab of wood. Keeping the irregular shape of the wood by using its live edge–and keeping some bark–adds to the overall beauty of this rack. This will look amazing no matter where it is hung and be highly functional too! No matter your project, we’re here to help.

If you’re thinking of a table for the dining room, living room or kitchen, check out our selection of hairpin legs. They come in different diameters, heights, and styles. Our metal bench legs are great for – benches (of course) but they also work great for tables as well. And of course there is all the custom metal work we’ve done. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you’re thinking about for your project, we’d love to hear what you have in mind. Here’s what Bob had to say after working with us

Excellent craftsmanship; super service

We’re glad you liked it, Bob. Thanks!

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Cassie’s Hairpin Leg Trunk Coffee Table

Which came first, the hairpin legs or the tabletop? Sometimes we know we want to make a table with hairpin legs. And, sometimes we have tabletop we know needs a set of legs. Which method works best for you?

square bar hairpin leg trunk coffee table

Cassie had an old trunk that needed the right parts to make it into a usable furniture piece. Our square bar hairpin legs were just the thing! Cassie says,

I love trunks and found this cute one in a cute boutique called Knot Too Shabby in Monrovia, Ca. I had to find something to do with it! So entered your company to help me out with that and the legs you guys made were just perfect!

Thank you, Cassie!

For some folks it’s easy to start put together the pieces of a new DIY table. But if that’s not how it’s feeling for you, no worries! There is no right way to go about making custom furniture. You can think about what height, width, depth, colors, materials, and so on. You can think about furniture pieces you already have – what aspects do you like and what could be improved? Maybe an existing piece you own could use a facelift? Looking through yard sales or antique shops can turn up the perfect tabletop. You can peruse our hairpin leg collection. You can start with the hairpin legs you like and then look for the tabletop. No matter how you go about it we’re confident you’ll come up with a hairpin leg table worth sending us a picture!

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Nina’s Custom Built Bed with Hairpin Legs

bed platform with hairpin legs

Here is a great project from Nina – a bed platform! We love seeing what our customers come up with when they want custom built furniture without paying top tier prices. Nina’s bed is no exception. Using hairpin legs to make a bed platform is a great idea. Many of us have a generic bed frame we’ve had for ages. When it comes time to replace it, it can take time to decide exactly what you want. Why not just make it?

hairpin leg bed platform

Having a bed frame designed to support just a mattress – without a box spring, has many advantages. First of all, it saves money by not getting a box spring whenever your mattress is replaced. This also saves time and space any time you (and your bed) move. Bed platforms offer additional support during sleep as well. Worn box springs can detract from quality of sleep. A solid frame ensures the mattress will always be well supported. Nina put a lot of thought into how to make her bed platform. Here is how she went about it:

The bed platform is twin size…made from hickory. The slats are 1.5 inches apart and we purchased a Saatva (luxury firm) mattress. The project came out beautifully and it’s very comfortable. We were so glad you suggested the heavy gauge leg.

As you can see, our Just the Tip hairpin legs were used, and as Nina mentioned, they are the heavier gauge steel. Both of these options add additional stability to ensure stability for such a large and important piece of furniture. Many great nights of sleep will be had on this bed! Thanks for sharing, Nina! Great job!

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Kristi’s Hairpin Leg DIY End Table

antique hairpin leg side table

Finding the right piece of furniture for your home can be difficult. Sometimes you have a vision of what you’re looking for but are not able to find that perfect piece. The obvious solution to that is making it yourself! We love that our hairpin legs help folks get the perfect piece of furniture for their space. Preferences and home décor trends change often and can be very personal. Making something yourself supports and highlights those individualities.

Our hairpin legs are the perfect complement to your custom furniture project. From coffee tables to dining room tables our hairpin legs have seen it all. Kristi used our hairpin legs to create this amazing end table. It is so satisfying knowing that a piece of furniture in your home was made by you and is one-of-a-kind. Making an end table like Kristi’s can be fun and simple.

Visiting antique stores or even old garage sales can turn up treasures that could be your next home furniture project. We know you’ll love our product, just like Kristi,

So pleased with the legs! Couldn’t wait to get them on! Thank you!

We’re glad you’re enjoying them Kristi, thanks for sharing!