DIY Furniture Ideas for Modern Makers

Finding well-designed furnishings on a modest budget is an ever-present challenge. Christopher Stuart of Carmel, Indiana might have the solution. For the second volume of his book DIY Furniture, he tapped 30 emerging designers to contribute do-it-yourself versions of their own pieces. "Those interested in design should find the book helpful by seeing how others are innovating with common materials," he says. A handy at-home maker can reproduce a range of designs from coffee tables to chandeliers with common hardware-store materials and basic tools. Of particular note is the Iolo console by Thomas Jenkins of Norway.