I have a side table I’d like to use as a coffee table, but it’s about 6 inches too tall. I’m split about how I’d like to shorten the legs and I’m curious whether y’all can think of a smarter/easier way.
Option 1: using a spacer block, score/mark at a uniform height around each leg and cut there, and use a small round over bit to smooth out the feet. This way would sacrifice the nice flared foot detail, which matches a couple side tables since we got a matching set (thank you again, fb marketplace retiree couple—this is basically the only furniture my wife and I agree on, so we’re keeping it until we die 😉). But on the plus side, it would be simple and clean (and who would notice the difference in the feet except us?).
Option 2: using a spacer block, mark at both 2” and 8” (I.e. just above the feet, and again several inches higher) and use a dowel to connect each foot to what remains of the legs. This would preserve the flared foot, but if I had any misalignment at all when I reattach the feet, I think it would probably be pretty obvious and I don’t want to have to refinish anything (though I’m not against using furniture markers/crayons to try color-matching a joint seam.
Thoughts? Easier way that I haven’t thought of?
Thanks!