My Coffee table, need stain color help

[Daniel644]

so last year I started a project, then winter hit and I stalled out and got busy with the Trailblazer, now I'm finally getting back to finishing my custom designed (by me) custom built (by me and my dad) coffee table, what I'm having trouble deciding on is the stain color, I keep flip flopping between Driftwood and Black for the outer border and the legs, the cedar inlay will be cleared to bring up the gloss and color. If anyone out there is good with photoshop can you mock those colors up, would be greatly appreciated.

once I finish the table I'm planning to do a couch based of this youtube video design and will stain that wood the same color.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmKf8JOvrmY

this video is whats leaning me toward the driftwood, my original plan was the black.

 

[Mounce]

No real input, just wanted to say that table looks great! Personally I'd clear the whole thing but it's yours so stain it however you'd like. Just don't forget to post finished pics.

 

[Matt]

It depends on what the coordinating colours are. I just finished a sofa table for the basement and am in the process of making a side table. I stained using Minwax Polyshades http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/one-step-stain-and-finishes/minwax-polyshades and used Tudor with two coats of polyurethane on top.

You might look at the Espresso colour rather than the black.

Great looking table BTW.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I would not go black, but the darkest wood tone you can find. I have been using dark walnut on all my trim in the basement remodel.

 

[Daniel644]

No real input, just wanted to say that table looks great! Personally I'd clear the whole thing but it's yours so stain it however you'd like. Just don't forget to post finished pics.

Thanks, I get that a lot most people seam to like the design and it is sturdy as all hell (being built out of 4x4's for the legs and rails), I have seriously considered doing clear over the whole thing, but i'm looking at the "big picture" when I do my house the plan is to build all the cabinetry in the same style, just with shaker doors added to the sides so whatever I choose here sets the tone for the entire interior of the future house.

It depends on what the coordinating colours are. I just finished a sofa table for the basement and am in the process of making a side table. I stained using Minwax Polyshades http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/one-step-stain-and-finishes/minwax-polyshades and used Tudor with two coats of polyurethane on top.

You might look at the Espresso colour rather than the black.

Great looking table BTW.

I would not go black, but the darkest wood tone you can find. I have been using dark walnut on all my trim in the basement remodel.

honestly I'm not a fan of any of the brown stains, just feels to 80's to me, i'm surrounded by it in the house I'm currently living and don't want to use it.

the house I want to build is going to be BOLD to say the least, I'm pretty much fighting between the driftwood and black, those are just the colors that speak to me, driftwood because of that video, if I do driftwood then my couch cushions will be black, if I do black then the couch cushions will be orange, either way the feature walls in each room will be orange with the rest of the walls to likely be a medium grey with the backsplash in the kitchen being this stuff http://www.lowes.com/pd_260587-93840-20-513_0__?productId=3498796&Ntt= which is why I'm leaning toward the black stain, still haven't decided on flooring yet, but it'll be a while before I can afford to build anyway so I've got time to choose.

here are a few renders of one design I've been developing, but It's already changing, this was a first draft, this was from when I was still hopefull of finding a site flat enough to do a slab on grade with a polished concrete floor.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Your bold colors sound alot like what I have gone with in my basement remodel. I did Orange and Tan paints, Walnut wood and galvanized metal. The bar got stained concrete in a Henna and Loden colors with a couple clear coats. The carpet will be near the tan/brown/black fibers of the rug by the fridge. I think your idea will be pretty sweet, but i would only do the couches black not the wood. Not a fan of black wood. With the dark walnut stain i could get the trim many different shades with a couple coats and some I have near black, but I think it looks richer than just being black.

Ex of what i have done...

 

[Daniel644]

to be clear, I realized I didn't add this part, the only black woods (or driftwood, depending on color chosen) would be the cabinets and furniture, the base board, window trims and tongue and groove ceiling (if in budget) and perhaps even the floor for contrast against the cabinets would just be cleared, I wouldn't want those dark, i'd really like to do something like this ceiling on this project we have in construction.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I think that ceiling is close to what I am wanting in the new bathroom. The bead board look may go there and in the stairway going up(but stained to match) depending on how the carpet looks on there. I am thinking the trim left for the lil hallway and bath will just be pine to keep those small areas nice and bright

The black wood could be a nice contrast since the other wood would be so bright.

 

[Daniel644]

I think that ceiling is close to what I am wanting in the new bathroom. The bead board look may go there and in the stairway going up(but stained to match) depending on how the carpet looks on there. I am thinking the trim left for the lil hallway and bath will just be pine to keep those small areas nice and bright

The black wood could be a nice contrast since the other wood would be so bright.

the black is easier to find right now, the local Lowes is in the middle of a Mod reset on the Stain aisle right now and I don't see any of the driftwood anywhere, but I have a choice of both satin and gloss black in the polyshades, I of course would go satin to try for a look like this. I'm gonna take another look at the lineup of shades on minwax's website in a minute.

i'd also like to incorporate some exposed metal electrical conduits into the house design just to give it some commercial/loft feel.

i'm also thinking of using the glaze coat stuff in this video over the inlay instead of just the normal clear poly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaziREOdQJY

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Did you see how I surface mounted the metal outlet boxes? I may do some conduit and a kinda shepard hook bend to make a lamp for the couch since I will still have access to behind wall via laundry room. I really like the conduit look. Saw some cool ideas of splitting larger conduit and using it as corner trim, but more than I wanted to tackle

 

[Daniel644]

So I did a little search and it turns out I had the installer for Adobe CS6 on the computer, so I set it up and tried my best (I pretty much suck), but I think it's close enough to give you guys the basic idea of the 2 different colors.

 

[Mounce]

Out of the two, I personally like the black, kind of highlights the Cedar.

 

[Matt]

Out of the two, I personally like the black, kind of highlights the Cedar.

Yep.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

What color flooring? The driftwood is sweet, but blends with the light floor in the pic.

 

[Daniel644]

What color flooring? The driftwood is sweet, but blends with the light floor in the pic.

Flooring isn't set in stone yet, I don't care if it plays with the floors in the current house, flooring will be chosen to play opposite the furniture, like if we go with the black stain the floor will be something like just cleared white pine or a driftwood or something along those lighter shades, if we go driftwood then the floors will be a dark color, remember this coffee table and the couch that will be built to go with it set the design tone for the future house.

 

[Daniel644]

Went with the black stain and just got the first coat on it, in the mean time here are PDF's of the design that should give you guys an idea of how the sides and legs where done.

 

[Daniel644]

about an hour after the second coat of stain, got a few spots that need touch up.

 

[Matt]

Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Daniel644]

Well I've decided to go a COMPLETELY different direction with my living room design and now this coffee table won't really fit with the design, right now the plan is to finish it and sell it, right now I'm debating between the furniture (and colors) in the attached pics, the white or red is a COMPLETE set (Sofa, Loveseat, Chair and Coffee Table) the other is just the chair and Sofa but is about 300 bucks cheaper, Opinions (going for a sort of mid century modern/eclectic style)? also for reference attached is a pic of the style of base cabinets going in the kitchen, plan is to do 1x6 T&G Tray ceilings all other colors are still up in the air, oh and here are some old renders I did of the design before I decided to go open shelves on the uppers and entertainment center.

 

[richphotos]

I am too late to this party, I was in the wood working industry for multiple years. I would have personally gone with a red oak or early american stain. It would have brought the red in the center out very well.

 

[Daniel644]

I am too late to this party, I was in the wood working industry for multiple years. I would have personally gone with a red oak or early american stain. It would have brought the red in the center out very well.

I still need to go back and finish this table so I can sell it off, what would you think would be a fair asking price once finished?

 

[richphotos]

You could easily ask 500 for it. It looks VERY well built.
I have seen solid wood factory built coffee tables go for 300-500 and did not look as well built.