Category: Customer Photos

Sometimes we’re looking for a piece of furniture to complete a room in our home. Sometimes we have a piece of furniture we know we want in our home but we’re not sure where. Either way, our hairpin legs are here to help! Our tall hairpin legs are perfect for desks and dining room tables. Our shorter metal legs go perfectly with bureaus and larger or lower to the ground furniture pieces. We offer different styles to fit the use and look of the furniture you are making. No matter the way you are going about the process, we know you’ll be delighted at how our hairpin legs hold up the furniture you create. Liz found the furniture she wanted to use before she was sure how she wanted to use it. Here’s how she went about her project:

I bought the cabinet at a barn sale in Frederick, MD with the intent of using it as a tall table in my entry foyer. I had it for at least a year before I finally settled on its use. I had a narrow space and needed a side table for my sofa. Then I ran across Modern Legs on Etsy. The fact that you could customize the size for me made all the difference. I decided I wanted to keep the cabinet in its original state, but I did add a little color by painting the top and sides with Sherwin Williams Drizzle.

We’re so glad you found us Liz! Your table is one of a kind, and we’re so glad you shared it with us. Whether you’re looking for a use for furniture you already have or are starting from scratch, our hairpin legs will provide a solid base for whatever you come up with. Send us a pic when you’re done so we can see the end result!

Redwood, turquoise inlay, and hairpin legs? It’s almost more than we can handle! Bruce shared this inspiring coffee table made with our 3 rod hairpin legs. The redwood looks gnarly and rugged with the living aspects of the tree intact. When wood is cut and dried it can form natural cracks. These cracks can be ignored or more often they are filled in. A simple clear epoxy will certainly get the job done. But an even better option can be turquoise inlay. The contrast between wood and turquoise really brings a piece to life. Bruce runs BP Sheely Designs in Utah and we’re proud to have him as a customer. We love seeing what he makes. Here’s what he has to say about us:

I am totally excited about Modern Legs. Best legs on the web. I cannot match anything else locally.

Thanks Bruce, your work is inspiring! This table is a great example of how hairpin legs can perfectly fit custom tables. This non-standard tabletop shape does not lend itself well to the standard four-leg layout. Ordering only the legs he needed, Bruce was able to place them perfectly.

All of our metal legs are made right here in the USA! We also source our steel from the U.S. So for those of you like Bruce who are making amazing custom work, you can be sure that when you add our metal legs to your hand crafted creations, you’re supporting US craftsmanship. Thank you for sharing Bruce!

Common household objects can often be used to create beautiful DIY furniture. Can you guess what Victoria’s end table was originally meant for? She used a computer monitor stand to make this old fashioned looking table! Here’s what Victoria did in her own words:

For this project, we used a couple of different things in addition to the tapered legs – wooden computer monitor stands (which already had a drawer in them) and a sheet of pine from the hardware store. We cut down the pine to fit the base of the monitor stands since they were open underneath the drawer, then stained it, and attached them together. We used a rag to apply a little bit of the new stain over the existing stain on the monitor stands, so that the color was a better match, and to darken the overall appearance. After those were assembled, we used a clear coat over the metal legs, and then attached them to the pine base. It was as easy as that!

Next time you’re looking for inspiration, take a second look at some common household items and see if they are good candidates for a new life as hairpin leg furniture. Both our hairpin legs and our tapered angle iron legs go perfectly on a project like this. They are durable and capture the simple lines of turn-of-the-century-style. Can’t choose what is best for your project? Take a tour through our blog posts to see what others have done. We know you’ll come up with something great!

Mesquite is a beautiful and unique wood. Jamie sourced a large mesquite slab to make this gorgeous coffee table—not always easy depending on where you live! She chose to use our classic hairpin legs, which accommodate lots of styles and won’t steal the show. If you want a table which focuses on the wood…we tend to suggest the classic hairpins.

This coffee table will be stable and secure without having to conform to the standard square or rectangular shape. For some projects the number of metal legs needed might be more or less than four legs. Jamie chose a customized layout for her table legs, and it let her use a long, unique slab by doing so. Our hairpin legs are all ordered by the piece so the number you order is completely up to you and your project. If you get part way through a project and realize an additional leg would offer the best support; that is easy to add.

We find that most of the DIY hairpin leg furniture our customers make becomes a centerpiece of the room – an eye attraction, if you will. There is something about custom-made furniture that just does that. Jamie’s room, for example, is a neat and nicely put together. The eye cannot help but be pulled to this one-of-a-kind, homemade coffee table. Notice how the hairpin legs support the tabletop – the main player in this piece, but do not steal the show. The final finish you choose to use on the hairpin legs gives you control over how much attention they draw. Keeping them stock lets them play a supporting role in the piece – literally. A finish like a colorful paint will increase the amount of attention they demand. Choose what works best for your project and preferences. And when you’re done, send us a pic so we can see your masterpiece!

We’ve been known to say that all it takes to make a table is a set of modern metal table legs and some beautiful wood. Many of our customer’s DIY furniture projects stay rustic or rough-cut. We love that look but Jill points out how beautiful a project can be when you sand and seal it to a perfect finish. Her table is made from an old piece of oak and was made by her Dad. Here’s what Jill says:

My dad made the table from 100-year old oak from a barn loft that he got from a family friend…it has about 8 coats of water based polyacrylic, high gloss (General Finishes brand). I wanted it to be as rustic as possible, which was difficult for my dad, who is a perfectionist when it comes to building with wood. It is made with three planks only. He will be 80 years old this year.

Great story! Having homemade furniture with a story like this behind it is such a treasure! Jill’s table is made with our modern angle iron legs. This style of metal table legs is a bit different than our hairpin legs. We start with straight angle iron and cut them so they taper down to the floor. Then we add small feet to the bottom for support and a nice finishing touch.

Thank you for sharing your table, Jill. It’s beautiful!

The mountain pine beetle has killed millions of trees over the past two decades. But loggers and lumber companies are helping out with all the dead wood, and it turns out beetle-kill pine makes astounding pieces of furniture.

Furniture made from this wood can be quite different than wood from the same species not affected by the beetle. The pine beetle transports a fungus that discolors the wood. The result is beautifully colored pine that is often turned into such masterpieces as tables and desks. Of course we think such special wood would go best with metal legs – hairpin legs or otherwise and Mike helped us prove the point!

Mike, owner of Woodshed Production in Issaquah, WA, put this live edge beetle killed ponderosa pine slab atop our tapered angle iron metal legs. What a combo! The mix of beetle killed wood and a live edge slab really tells a story about the tree. We love that Mike keeps coming back for more metal legs!

We love the way our modern angle iron legs look on Mike’s table, but if you’re looking for something with softer lines, our hairpin legs are your best bet. Our original hairpin legs are bent hairpin legs at their simplest and offer a nice counterpoint to the angles of a table top.

No matter what you use, make sure you send us a picture when you’re done. We love seeing new DIY furniture designs!

Having a DIY furniture project in your home can be like having a piece of history living with you. Imagine having a pew from an old grange hall or floor boards from an old covered bridge in your home. For those of us on the lookout for a unique furniture project, the source material might be nearby already.

Dave has that experience thanks to our metal bench legs. Dave tells us about the origin of his bench:

An old piece of cedar on it’s 3rd life as an indoor bench. It’s been an outdoor garden bench for 24 years and a bridge over a creek ’til it washed downstream. The legs are perfect for this 4 x 10 x 5 ft. slab of wood.

Thanks Dave, what a great way to preserve this piece of wood in a practical and functional way. A set of metal legs can turn artifacts such as these into living pieces of history you can use every day. Both our hairpin legs and bench legs do a great job of turning your own personal artifact into functional furniture for your home. Bringing a meaningful piece of wood to life is magical! We offer many varieties in both hairpin legs and bench legs so you can be a part of that magic. Multiple sizes and styles of metal legs provide the perfect option for every project.

Some folks choose to use our metal legs outside as well as inside. Having solid metal legs for patio furniture works great. As the weather starts to warm up its fun to think about enjoying the warmer seasons on your own homemade patio furniture. Our metal legs are up to the job! You can treat the legs with a clear coat or wax if you’d like to seal them, or leave them how they are. Our metal legs are so thick they can take outdoor exposure and will keep your furniture strong and stable for years to come.

The great thing about hairpin legs is that they let you do what you want! If you can think it up chances are hairpin legs can help you make something amazing. Check out Paul’s fun night stand. Taking an old suitcase and making it into a one of a kind night stand is a great idea! Our metal legs are so versatile they can easily be used to create tables like this. And what a great place for out of sight storage this table makes!

Standalone legs like this really make an endless variety of furniture projects possible. Each hairpin leg can be firmly screwed or bolted into the furniture top itself. We frequently see wooden tabletops as they are quite easy to screw into. Projects like Paul’s are also possible because the hairpin legs can be used with so many materials. On a thinner material like this suitcase you can use bolts with washers and nuts to hold the legs firmly in place on each side.

Four metal legs is a great standard number but perhaps a smaller project like a stool only needs three. Larger projects may use five or more legs to support a long table or bench top. The possibilities are endless. What crazy furniture ideas do you have? We’d love to be a part of them. Send us pics of your hairpin leg creations!

We like to say our metal legs are fit to use on just about any project. The hairpin legs can be used for a table, bench, or bureau. The bench legs can be used for a bench, table, or bookshelf. We offer a wide variety of styles and sizes but sometimes a custom order is called for. We love that our customers come up with great furniture ideas and custom ordered metal legs to go with them! If there’s something you have in mind, just let us know. Chances are if it’s made of metal we’ll be able to make it. Allison loves her custom metal legs. And the finished product is amazing! The legs on this table are a customized version of our flat bar bench legs. But clearly they are doing a great job as a table! Allison said:

Just wanted to send a big thank you for the custom built legs! They were perfect for the project and the end result turned out gorgeous! Thanks again for all your help!

Amazing table Allison! The clear finish is so pristine it is hard to see where the table ends and the rest of the room begins! We are happy we were able to come up with the right set of metal legs for this table.

Storage and multiple uses of space are great ideas to consider whenever undertaking a project for your house. The way Allison’s table was designed clearly took space into consideration. The custom metal legs make the table tall enough to easily store stools underneath. This makes for ease of use around the table when it’s not in use. The stools are already out of the way and the table serves as another horizontal surface for kitchen prep work, a stand-up workspace, or whatever else is needed at the moment. Thank you for sharing Allison – beautiful table!

We like to say our hairpin legs can go on practically anything, and part of why we offer such a wide variety of styles and sizes is to make sure they can! Short hairpin legs are not just for short furniture; they offer greater options in general. Sure, the 4” hairpin leg can be used to make a great footstool or ottoman. But they are also great for larger pieces of furniture that stay close to the ground.

Dressers accommodate shorter hairpin legs perfectly. It can be difficult to find a strong and attractive leg style for furniture that holds as much weight as a dresser can. But metal hairpin legs are always up to the challenge. Dressers themselves are heavy and filling them full of clothing and other belongings quickly piles on weight. Having stable and durable legs is a must. Our metal legs come in a variety of thicknesses – right up to 5/8” steel rod. That’s a durable set of legs! Tricia used our 4-inch hairpin legs to make this great dresser. Here’s what Tricia had to say about the project:

I’ve been meaning to send you a photo of my finished project with the custom hairpin legs you made me. I LOVE them and get tons of compliments! Thank you for making my vision reality. 🙂

Thank you for sharing Tricia, great project! We offer a number of styles and sizes…Tricia chose the square bar hairpin legs. They nicely compliment the square aspects of the dresser itself. Nice pairing!