Could this be DIY’d?

[crampyi]

I really like this coffee table but I’m not sure about the price. Especially as I can’t see it in person to know what the colour is like, or how the marbling would look. Do you think I could DIY this for cheaper? I’m just not sure how much it would realistically cost to buy a marble table top and build a base vs just buying this? X

www.choicefurnituresuperstore.co.uk/coffee-table-p611387.html

Here's a table top.
https://www.nisbets.co.uk/enduratop-round-carrara-marble-table-top-800mm/hs623?vatToggle=incvat&cm_mmc=PLA--18123854043----&cm_mmca1=go_18123854043____m&kpid=go_cmp-18123854043_adg-_ad-__dev-m_ext-_prd-HS623_sig-EAIaIQobChMI47azo8-0hwMVZIBQBh1CKQTOEAQYFyABEgKJ_vD_BwE&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI47azo8-0hwMVZIBQBh1CKQTOEAQYFyABEgKJ_vD_BwE
Depending on your skill level one might be able to make the base from a number of pieces of wood glued together vertically to form a tube.

Ahhh thank you. I have seen some videos on how the base could be made, essentially gluing dowels on a base and then painting over it. But then buying all the materials might end up costing similar (I’m a complete beginner).

the other thing I was thinking is buying this and painting it: www.next.co.uk/style/su216632/457716#457716

Imo, the Next one is much nicer. I wouldn't paint it, though. That may go horribly wrong.

Oh thanks, that’s good to hear! I don’t like the gold trim, it wouldn’t look right in my living room so I’d look to cover that

The trim at the bottom? That would be easy to change. You can buy coloured and metallic tape, get one that matches your decor and stick it on!

But don't paint it. Trust me. From experience, it never goes well. And it's too expensive to wreck! I'm not criticising your abilities btw! However, you could perhaps spray it? Hmmmm, that might work. Tape will definitely be an easy fix for the bottom, though.

I think if you could get hold of one of those huge round things that hold electric cable you could use that as a base. Then glue lengths of wood to it to give it strength and decorative look. Purchase a marble top and it’s done. Should be able to do it for a quarter of the cost.

Good luck.

That isn’t marble, it’s marble effect laminate.

Unless you are very skilled and already have all the tools necessary, I think you will end up with something that looks awful and costs almost as much.

But you have the benefit of showing it to your friends and saying
"Yes it is interesting isn't it? And would you believe it, I made it myself!"
As their drinks slide gracefully off the sloping top...

What is it that you like about it? The marble? The base being slatted? The base being round? Is there one feature you would with to reproduce to make you feel you had got an equivalent?
Do you have tools? Do you have DIY experience. If not maybe look for a similar (especially in the aspect that you most like) by googling something like marble top tables.

If it is the shape you like rather than the mable there is this
dusk.com/products/hattie-coffee-table-natural

If it is white and marble what about this
https://www.furniturebox.co.uk/palma-white-marble-coffee-table/

If you do decide to make it yourself this might work for the base
www.buildersmerchant.com/product/flexible-mdf-long-grain-6mm/

That's much nicer 😊

If you're asking the answer is most likely no.

If you'd be happy to sacrifice time and or finish then probably yes.

The round fluted base isn't particularly easy to make.

I'm sure I've seen a dupe of that recently. Dunelm, maybe?

Before you splash out, search "marble coffee table" on Facebook Marketplace. There are usually lots there, in a variety of designs and at much more affordable prices.

Thanks so much all. I checked FB marketplace and nothing there.

So I previously ordered a (real) marble coffee table and returned it. The marble looked nice, but it was too small and too low plus I didn’t like the base.

Therefore the aspects from the expensive table that I like are:

• size of the (real) marble top & height of table
• wood base

Funnily enough I’ve seen the tables you have kindly linked to me during my hunt!

it’s interesting that you feel the base design might be the hardest part to replicate - there’s a few videos online make that part seem straightforward: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGen5RFAx/

but I could be completely underestimating the work involved! lol

It will be very difficult to get a good paint finish if you use a brush, like that video. If you want to get a professional finish, there will be a lot of sanding and you will probably need to spray the paint, otherwise it will look very homemade close up. If you have a lot of time, the tools and the skills, you might be able to pull it off.

You'd have to be a pretty accomplished and dedicated DIY-er to do this, but it would be possible to trawl architectural salvage sites for an interesting base and then source a marble top of the right colour from a stone yard. They usually have remnants which you can have cut to size.
I know someone who did this, and the result was smashing, but it's probably not for the faint-of-heart!
ETA - With all the labour involved, it might not be cheaper, but you would get exactly what you want and it would probably be stunning.

For a complete beginner with no woodwork experience this would not go well and I doubt that it would be any cheaper. If you like it and can afford it then buy it. DIY will just result in an unfiltered mess in the shed.

I'm fairly experienced at diy and have some woodworking experience (and quite a few tools) and I wouldn't attempt that.

It would be hard to make the base not look crap, dowels glued to something (what?) would look crap imo.

That said, I do think that's massively overpriced for something made of mdf.

I think sourcing the base and top from a salvage yard / second hand website is your best bet. For considerably less you should be able to get something better.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285947158058?itmmeta=01J3A1RWK4GM0ST4DZGQGFFARB&hash=item4293c75e2a:g:IgAAAOSwKr1mioP8&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwMcVSOyAZvqEeogW5urUXo4GWpRgyrBVx9Azhg8OVN7lLm9QZWObNfwd%2F0n85D%2Fmnp%2BQafmEX%2FBw3jrMSKecumiNYpvETK--%2B21IVmsyI7vqksJPAUJBwpM7XNCQJcjY2EK7ELA9E3ohRtnKAf8nNRwae1lm29CUVGx%2BmIDuxo01zdP%2B24QxRuDEnrceijLeu1F53sfWYS%2FsrvEfmovNa%2FaeqYZvCFwjJXJbp%2FrQkfiAIfxvilHXD3RbuKV%2FysKreA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9DJ48GaZA

That website is amazing, thanks! Are they reliable to buy from do you know?

Sorry I don't know, I've never bought from them.

This. DIYs sometimes look ok on Instagram but almost always naff and amateur in real life!