DIY folding table for a small or narrow kitchen

Not everyone can boast of spacious housing and have the opportunity to furnish the rooms at their disposal as functionally as possible. For those who live in small apartments, transformable interior items for various purposes come to the rescue. They can be purchased ready-made or made yourself. Folding tables mounted on the wall are convenient for organizing maximum free space in the kitchen or, for example, on the balcony.

DIY folding table

What is a folding table?

This is an interior item in the form of a board attached to the wall. Placed in a small room, it serves as a table. It can be an excellent assistant if used correctly.

Reclining table and bench

The folding table is distinguished by its functionality and ergonomics, and fits harmoniously into the space of any room. It can significantly save working space.

Size

The dimensions of the tabletop are the main characteristic that is taken into account when choosing a folding table. The parameters are calculated based on the square footage of the room and the number of people who will use it simultaneously. If the table becomes a workplace, then its length should be at least 1.2 m and width - 0.8 m. These are the optimal tabletop parameters for one person. The height of the table should vary between 0.7-0.75 m from the floor. For the dining table, the norms are slightly different:

• Round tables. For conventional models, at which 5-6 people are seated, the diameter should be 1.2-1.35 m. With folding tables the situation is somewhat different, since one side leans either against the wall or against another vertical surface and seat the diner there will not work. Models with a diameter of 1.2-1.35 m are designed for 4-5 people.
• Oval models. It is impossible to give exact figures for these tables, since the useful area of ​​the tabletop directly depends on the type of fastening: along the wall or across. The countertops are more spacious in the second case.
• Rectangular tables. The situation is the same as with oval ones.

On average, a diner needs a space 0.4 m wide and 0.6 m long. By width here we mean the distance from the edge of the tabletop to its center.

Table details

To build a folding table, you need to prepare the following parts:

• table top
• bottom and top of the shelf
• sides and partitions
• back

As accessories, it is necessary to prepare self-tapping screws, hinges, confirmants and anchors.

During the work you can use the following tools:

• electric jigsaw (hacksaw or regular jigsaw)
• manual milling machine
• grinder
• screwdriver
• drill and set of drill bits

They also use a ruler, tape measure, pencil, level and construction square.

Having prepared the parts and the necessary tools, you can begin to work.

Drawing selection

Before you make a folding table with your own hands, you should choose a folding mechanism. Then you need to draw a diagram of the product. When starting to make a folding table, it is important to create the drawings correctly. Of course, you can try to do them yourself, but it takes a lot of time and the likelihood of error is quite high. Therefore, it makes sense to find a ready-made drawing on thematic resources and adapt it to the desired dimensions. Many sites offer special calculators for this purpose.

For details you need:

Once the image has been completely transferred, you can begin cutting out parts from the plywood sheet. For this purpose, special equipment will be required. If there is none, you can contact specialists. After sawing, you should treat the edges of the plywood around the perimeter with glue, this will help avoid shedding and destruction of the sheet.

If the material is purchased at a hardware store, you can usually order the sheet to be cut to your own dimensions.

Description of materials

They are used depending on the location and shape of the table.

Plywood, chipboard, MDF

This sheet material is used in the manufacture of countertops. Integrity is the main advantage of the material. Using a jigsaw, you can cut out a tabletop that is ready for use. Only on the cut edges you need to stick a special tape. A table made from this material is light in weight, which allows the tabletop to easily recline.

When choosing one of these materials, plywood deserves more consideration. Especially laminated and moisture resistant. It has a long service life compared to others.

Natural wood

This is an environmentally friendly, elegant, stylish, fairly durable material. When using it to make a table, two conditions must be met:

• the right type of wood
• the presence of special equipment due to complex manufacturing technology.

These factors affect the cost of the product, even if you make it yourself. If you have your own hand router, or at least a jigsaw and a wooden board, you can easily build a wall-mounted kitchen table.

Glass

Thick tempered glass is used for tabletops.

This type of countertops must be ordered separately, since this material will not be cut at home. It is used extremely rarely.

The choice of material is influenced by the location where the built-in table will be installed. Made from wood or glass, it will look different when installed separately from other pieces of furniture. MDF, chipboard and plywood are considered universal materials.

The shapes of countertops can be very diverse, but the most popular are square, rectangular, round and semicircular.

An electric jigsaw is used to cut the selected material into the required shape. The edges are processed with a sanding machine and covered with a special tape to give it a marketable appearance.

Making a table for the balcony with your own hands

If the finished products are not satisfactory in size, appearance or cost, there is always the opportunity to assemble a folding structure yourself. Moreover, the process does not cause any particular difficulties.

To manufacture the structure, you need to stock up on material, hinges and fasteners. The tabletop can be cut from furniture board, thick plywood, chipboard or MDF.

What is the difference between MDF and laminated chipboard?

If slabs are used, it is recommended to finish the ends with an edge that matches the color. To do this, you will need an iron and a sharp knife to cut off the excess. When installing a table in a room decorated with wood, a wooden table top will look more harmonious.

An option is proposed for producing the simplest design of a folding table from furniture panels for a balcony.

Two parts made of chipboard will be used as supports (can also be made of wood, but we used what was at hand). You can make one support, but the table turns out to be quite large, so for the strength of the structure it is better to install two support elements that fold in different directions. You will also need two bars. One is for fastening the tabletop, the second is for fixing the supports.

Table. Materials and equipment for making a table.

Step 1.

The furniture board is varnished and dried.

Furniture board

If necessary, the tabletop can be polished (before applying paint)

Step 2.

Markings are applied to the wall to secure the block. It will be installed at a height of 700 mm from the floor. When carrying out work, you must use a level.

Step 3.

Using four self-tapping screws, the block is fixed to the wall.

Step 4.

At a distance of 30 mm from the edges, two door hinges are attached to it.

Step 5.

Two triangular parts are cut out of a piece of laminated chipboard (or the triangles are assembled from timber), which will serve as supports.

Assembling a triangular support from bars

The bars are fastened with self-tapping screws and a perforated corner. For reliability, all joints are glued with wood glue

Step 6.

Both support legs are applied vertically. Marks are made for attaching piano (furniture) hinges.

Step 7

Furniture hinges are attached with self-tapping screws to the legs and the wall.

The corners are held on piano hinges

This is what the supports look like when folded

Step 8

A block is attached to the inside of the tabletop (parallel to the first one). The distance from the outer edge is 200 mm.

Step 10. The table top is placed on top of a block with hinges attached to the wall. On the inside, it is attached with self-tapping screws to the free hinge flap.

The tabletop is supported by two short hinges located horizontally. There is a beam fixed under the tabletop

Folded table

Important! The length of the screws must be chosen so that they do not protrude from the front side of the slab.

A functional and reliable structure that does not take up extra space on the balcony is ready. If necessary, the table top rises, the legs move at an angle to the center and securely hold the structure.

Compact structures purchased from the manufacturer or assembled with your own hands, distinguished by budget and functionality, in some cases are irreplaceable interior items.

Video - Homemade folding table for the kitchen in 20 minutes

Supports used in the product

To securely fix it, supports are made for the table. They may look like a triangular headscarf or the letter P.

If the structure is short, use a triangular support. The bracket is attached with hinges under the bottom of the tabletop. You cannot install a folding table in this way above the radiator, since the entire weight of the product will fall on it.

A triangle is suitable when attaching the structure to the wall surface. By installing two strips on the sides, you can strengthen it.

To make U-shaped supports, beams are used, connected to each other by the letter P. They are installed under the bottom of the tabletop, on the sides. The finished structure is attached to the tabletop using hinges. This will allow you to fold the finished table.

Models

Furniture manufacturers offer a wide range of tables, which differ in tabletop shapes, design types, sizes, fastening features, the presence or absence of certain components (for example, legs), and materials. In addition, the models differ in design: color and texture of the countertop surface. There are expensive options made from natural materials (solid wood or glass) and more budget ones that imitate natural stone or valuable wood species (most often plastic or veneered surfaces). Some tables are complemented by decorative inserts from other materials, carvings, inlays, and furniture fittings.

Forms

Folding tables are available with four tabletop shapes:

• Square. Ideal for a small family of three.
• Rectangular. The tabletop of the model is more spacious and can be used even for modest feasts with guests. Such folding tables are fixed both across the wall and along it.
• Semicircular. Tabletops of this shape have a small capacity and are therefore rarely used. Although the option looks original and suits classic interiors and Art Nouveau furnishings.
• Round and oval. The rarest variations. It looks stylish and unusual, but is rarely used due to its small capacity. The option is optimal as a dressing table in the bedroom or a workspace for one person.

In rooms with complex configurations, tables of non-standard shapes can be used. They are usually made to order.

Construction type

By type of design, folding tables are classified into the following types:

• Transformers. They can be wall-mounted or wall-mounted. The main distinguishing feature of the design is its versatility. If desired, it can turn into a compact workplace, replacing a desk, or into a full-fledged dining area.
• Folding table. A simplified version of the transformer, which does not have additional features. When folded, the tabletop assumes a vertical position, but at the same time a static “piece” remains against the wall, so the model is not completely assembled. Can be wall-mounted or wall-mounted. A striking example of the second option is a book-table. It became the first prototype of a folding table, which was familiar to every person from Soviet childhood. It was a tall “coffin” with two tabletops on either side of a narrow board in the middle. The “wings” are usually in a lowered state. When you need to set the table for a holiday, they are raised and fixed in a horizontal position. This piece of furniture really saved large feasts, since its area when unfolded increased several times. At a time when the model did not fold out, its narrow static tabletop was used as a shelf. When assembled, the “book” takes up very little space, but is still inferior to folding tables built into the wall.
• Folding. The simplest and most popular model. The table can be mounted on any vertical surface, be it a wall or the front of a cabinet. In addition to the tabletop, such models are usually equipped with a number of shelves. If the table is located in the kitchen, then they are filled with dishes. When the model is used for work, books and writing materials are stored in the shelves. The design is designed for heavy loads. As a rule, it has no legs, so the fastening to the wall must be reliable so that the table does not collapse at the feet of the owners. The tabletop does not rise, but folds down. This is its main difference from the folding model.
• Mobile folding table. The model is in many ways similar to the previous one, but differs in mobility. The tabletop moves along a guide mounted into the wall. This folding table is convenient for small apartments with a non-standard layout.
• Hanging. Tables without legs. They are compact, as they are not designed for heavy loads.
• Folding bar counter. It features a narrow, elongated tabletop. Ideal for small kitchens. Fixed high, like a classic bar counter. Often complemented by the same high chairs.

Although transformers and folding tables belong to the folding category, in classic models the tabletops are lowered during folding, and not raised, as happens in the two cases described above.