Craftsman End Table

The Arts and Crafts side table is a well-worn form. Most modern versions of it are either faithful copies or the silhouette without the reasoning behind it. This one is a modern interpretation, designed with thick bold cuts rather than period detail.

The legs are cut heavy enough to carry a slot straight through them. Each keyway ends in a rounded terminus, so the cut reads as a deliberate shape rather than a saw running out. Seen straight on it is a single continuous line. Seen from an angle it opens up and lets light through the frame, which is the reason for taking that much material out of a leg in the first place.

Underneath, four stretchers cross in a grid, each notched to half its depth where it meets another. A half-lap is a plain joint and an honest one: it puts long grain against long grain across a wide face, and it keeps the table from racking when someone leans on the top. It is also the best-looking part of the piece, which nobody sees unless they pick the table up.

Cherry suits the design because it darkens with age. Built new, the wood is pale and the keyways read as bright openings in the frame. Given years of light, the cherry goes deep amber and the same openings read as shadow.