Sewing table advice

[theladyrebecca]

I've been trying to plan my new sewing room, and the one thing I really want to add is a cutting table. I have a drop leaf kind I got at a garage sale, but I want a permanent one with storage underneath. Also, and this is the big thing, I want one that is appropriately tall for me. I figured out that I think I want one about 43" tall. Now, I figure that at least about 1.5" of this will be the table surface - My plan is to have a hard wooden surface that has been covered in cotton batting and that silver ironing board stuff, and covered over with a layer of fabric (probably canvas, but I haven't decided yet). I do most of my cutting with scissors, not the rotary cutter, and this way, I can pin fabrics and patterns down to the table surface, When I want to use the rotary cutter, I'll just put my cutting mat on top of the table.

However, that still leaves about 40-41" of height that need to be filled in. When I go online, it seems that the majority of people use the Ikea Kallax (previously Expedit) system. And I love my Expedit giant wall unit. But that's only 30" tall and wide, because it's just a 2x2. (I also want my table to be about 36"x60"). A lot of other people use the Closetmaid system from Target. But even that is only 36" tall. I suppose I could find leg or wheel pieces to put on, but I feel like 5" of leg a) wastes space that could be used as storage, and b) makes the table a lot less sturdy (especially because the Closetmaid system looks a lot less sturdy than the Kallax units anyway.

So the question is - how do I (easily) build/assemble a taller-than-normal cutting table? I would also love pictures/links to anyone else's cutting table, for inspiration. 

Comments

[ktlovely.livejournal.com]

Our kitchen island is like 42" tall, with a 1.5" butcher block top. It's two wire shelving units from Target, Room Essentials brand, with the casters that go with it. It was actually going to be my cutting table but ended up being too tall, and I don't want to carry the butcher block (36"x72") up a flight of stairs to my sewing room, so it lives in the kitchen now. Target has a bunch of accessories like baskets and hooks that clip onto those types of shelves that are really handy, too, and if I were just a little bit taller it would have been a perfect cutting table solution! As it is, it does well as a bar height island.

You can see a photo here on my Instagram: click!

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

That's a cool idea. Thanks!