We built this coffee table out of rift-sawn white oak. The original plan was to use thick 3-inch pieces to create a simple, chunky design. But after having trouble finding wood that thickness, we switched to using 1-inch boards and 45-degree miter joins to create a “waterfall” effect with the grain and make it look like bigger pieces of wood.

I designed the table after seeing a couple of different designs at furniture retailers that I liked some aspects of, but not others. It’s finished with Rubio Monocoat in “smoke,” which largely kept the natural, unfinished look of the oak, but added some white and gray to the grain.