Neema Buyu made a set of outdoor side tables with a calm, natural look, bringing beauty and everyday ease to her space. What's your wish? →
View material & custom-made details
The Bespoke Outdoor Cypress Side Table Set showed how a rough inspiration can be turned into a finished group of outdoor tables with the right wood, finish, and proportions. Neema Buyu made nine solid wood side tables in mixed heights and shapes, giving them a warmer rustic tone and a protective outdoor varnish that suited terrace, garden, or hospitality use.
- Request: The project called for a coordinated set of outdoor side tables with thick tops, mostly round forms, and an intentionally imperfect, organic look rather than sharp or overly regular shapes.
- Final result: The finished set included nine cypress tables: round tables in two heights and smaller square tables, all made for outdoor use and approved before shipment.
- Design details: The tables were adjusted during production to create thicker, less symmetrical legs, softer rounded edges, rustic surfaces, and a slightly warmer antique-brown stain instead of a cooler grey finish.
- Fit and use: These pieces worked as low outdoor side tables for lounge seating, patios, garden spaces, or commercial interiors that wanted natural wood furniture with a sculptural, handmade character.
- Process: Progress photos and videos documented the build from logs and split surfaces through leg revisions, sanding, staining, final varnish coats, quality review, and shipment readiness.
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A request by a from Switzerland
Side tables:
– 3 pcs. approx. D50 x W50 x H28-30 cm (round), old teak root natural grey
– 3 pcs. approx. D50 x W50 x H35 cm (round), old teak root natural grey
– 3 pcs. ca D30 x W30 x H40 cm (square), old teak root natural grey
(all for outdoor use)
The Journey of Creating Bespoke Outdoor Cypress Side Table Set
Negotiation & Planning
Bespoke Outdoor Cypress Side Table Set - design ideas and artisan proposals
Hey jasmine, I'm happy to provide an offer for your idea. Would you be willing to work with the red eucalyptus, it's was available and can withstand being outdoors
Hi Neema,
Thank you for your quick reply.
Red eucalyptus wood is quite red. We are looking more for brown and natural beige tones as on the pictures.
Thank you and kind regards,
Would you consider cypress or eucalyptus wood they lean more towards a light brown
Sure. I might need to see some pictures. There is also a possibility to stain them a bit.
Yeah staining it is an option as well, to a dark brown color. I would suggest cypress and we can stain it
Perfect!
I have attached a rough idea of what cypress would look like.
Can they be any other shape or you'd prefer round tops?
Thank you that looks good.
Well I prefer round tops but they don't need to be perfectly round, they can look unperfected.
So sorry for the late response, sure thing, thank you for your response. How thick would you like the table tops?
About 10cm, will that work?
Yeah 10cm would be good and possible
Perfect.
The Tables will be outside, so they have to be coated. Waxed or something similar.
Fantastic, we can work with wax, it raises the cost a little more, right now, without the shipping, VAT and wax each table is going for about 270 dollars which is about 27,000ksh, does that budget seem workable for you
Yes that works with the budget.
I would suggest using 2pac vanish or using resin, wax wouldn't be too durable and would need constant touch up
then 2 pac vanish it is.
thank you.
You're most welcome, and thank you for working with me. As soon as I get a deposit I'm ready to begin.
Hi Neema,
I will give you the definitive order confirmation after Christmas. First, I have to get the costs approved by my client. But I am really confident that they will approve it.
When will it be ready for shipment when you can start by the end of January? And how much will shipment cost (Shipping address: Construction Site, Eichmattweg 2, 6045 Meggen, Switzerland)
Thank you.
Thank you for the feedback. If I start in January it should take about 7 working days to have them done
Crafting Process
How to make a Bespoke Outdoor Cypress Side Table Set – work in progress
Good morning, we are ready to start on your project, thank you so much for working with us. We will keep you updated with pictures and videos on the progress.
Attached below is a sketch with the measurements for confirmation
Hi Nehme,
Thank you for the drawing. I confirm the measurements. You are good to go!
Fantastic, do have a lovely day
Hi neema
Do you have anything to show yet?
I am so curious
Have a nice day
Good morning, so far I have been able to get the logs, and split the first 6 surfaces it's a pretty exciting project so far. I have attached a couple of pictures and videos of the progress so far.
Do have a lovely day as well
Good morning Neema
Thank you for the pictures and videos. It ist so nice to see it from scratch. Looking forward to the final result.
Have a great day too!
I'm glad you get the chance to join me on the process, I'll keep you updated.
Good morning, hope you're doing well, I have attached pictures and videos on the progress so far. We are attaching the final legs and going into sanding and cutting the legs to size. Do have a lovely day, looking forward to your response
Good morning Buyu,
Thank you for the pictures. I honestly have to say that I am not really happy with the legs of the round tablas. They look way different then the reference picture. Is there any possibility to adjust them? They have to thicker and less symmetrical. Our client will not be happy with this.
I have sent you the reference picture.
Thank you and regards,
Thank you for your response, sure thing the legs can be changed to something thicker and less symmetrical, for clarification, would you like the shape of the legs less symmetrical, and would you like their placement changed to closer to the table tops edges?
What do you think of the three curved ones?
Thank you for understanding.
The placement closer to the table tops edges will be better. As similar as you can do it like on the reference picture.
About the curved ones they look fine. Maybe the edges of the tops could be les sharp, like the back of the legs. I really like the curving. I think the rest is fine.
I have sent you a picture for understanding.
thank you
Good morning, thank you for your feedback, we were able to get different legs and round the edges. I have attached a couple of pictures and videos let me know what you think so we are able to go on.
Hi Neema
Thank you for the updated version. The square table looks way better now. I like it, they are fine like that.
The bigger legs are nice too. They might be a little to big. Can you cut them more into a V-shape and less wide? The positioning right at the edge of the table top. You can carve the parts that stand out if it doesn't fit to the tops round shape. I attached some pictures for understanding.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for the feedback and the pictures, they are very helpful.
Do you like the colors of the square stools or would you like a more antique finish to it?
I prefer a more antique finish.
Thank you
Good morning, hope you're doing well. We have been able to fill the previous leg holes, and figured out a way of making the table tops as rustic as the legs we'll be putting. I have attached a couple of pictures let me know what you think. We are now going to the final stages of attaching the legs and sanding everything before we do the finishing coats of vanish.
In the pictures I have made the bottom part rustic so you can see and approve before we go on.
Good morning Neema,
I am doing well and I hope you too.
Thank you for the new pictures. It looks very good: I like the shapes. You are good to go.
Fantastic, I'm glad we're back on track, what do you think about the greyish color to give it a more rustic finish or should we keep everything as it is
I personally like the finish but it might be a little bit too grayish but it can change with the finishing coat and become a bit warmer. Maybe you can ad a little bit more of brown so it looks like the inspiration picture of the square table? Just a tiny little bit warmer in tone, then it is perfekt.
Fantastic, we'll work on that.
How fine would you like the final sanding to be, should it be totally smooth and remove the curving marks?
I don't think it needs to be totally smooth. It can look a little bit rough, something in between.
Sure thing, thank you for the feedback.
Hello, hope you are doing well. I have attached pictures and videos of the progress so far, we have stained them all what's left is cutting the legs to size and vanishing
Hi Neema
Thank you for your message. I am doing good and I hope you as well.
I am happy with the stain. The colour is perfect. Please continue...
Fantastic, do have a lovely evening. Next update I'll be sharing the final look
Perfect, I am looking forward to it.
Have a nice afternoon.
Good afternoon, we have cut the tables legs to size, what's left is vanishing, fumigation and packaging.
I have attached a couple of pictures and videos.
Things we have noticed, there's the end grain splits around the edges (which don't compromise on their durability) (can be filled if you'd like)
Also a couple of the patches have turned into a reddish maroon color (different parts of wood react differently to liquids) (adds onto the rustic look in my opinion)
The taller round ones are what's stacked up with the exact same progress and finishing as the smaller ones placed side by side
Let me know what you think before start on the vanishing
HI Neema,
The tables looks very beautiful with the stain. The patches don't bother me.
The splits are fine, they don't need filling.
Thank you and best regards,
I'm so glad you love them. We can now vanish them and get them fumigated
Perfect, thank you!
Good afternoon, so far we have done the first layer of vanish second coat is happening today
Hi Neema,
It‘s looking good!
Thx
Hello hope you're doing well. I have attached a couple of pictures and videos of the finished projects. Looking forward to your response, do have a lovely day.
Hi Nemma,
I am doing good and I hope you too. I am happy with the results. They are good to go.
Thank you for everything and I am looking forward to look at them in real.
Please continue with the shipment.
Best regards,
Fantastic. Thank you so much for working with us
Hello, hope you're doing well, could you please indicate via the system that the tables are ready for shipping. Do have a lovely day
Hi Neema
Here it goes
Hello
My Name is Noel, Local Operations manager, Kenya. I'm currently reviewing the quality of the stools, I've shared detailed photos of the stools from different angles. I hope they're as per your expectations. The photos are labeled in numbers and letters i.e. 1a, 1b...9a, 9b etc. The numbers represent the nine stools whereas the letters represent different angles of the stools.
Regards
Noel
Hi Noel,
Thank you for your message, the items are fine and ready for shipping.
Can you tell me an approximate delivery date?
Best regards,
Thank you for the feedback. We're ready to hand them over to Urban Change Lab as well. It's been amazing working with you.
Best regards, Neema Toya
Hi Neema,
When can we expect the shipping?
Best regards,
The Finished Unique Piece – Individually Handmade
Reference: ON005971E-32023
Cost structure of this project
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Cost of material |
1012.65
|
| Cost of labour |
1215.18
|
| Cost of packaging |
36.46
|
| Local Transport to photoshoot and parcel drop-off |
16.2
|
| Subtotal – payout to artisan |
2280.49
|
| acquisition costs (advertising etc.) |
228.05
|
| Handling fee Urban Change Lab |
228.05
|
| Total (excluding shipping & taxes) |
2736.59
|
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Note on shipping & taxes
The cost breakdown above shows how the value of this individual project is composed.
Shipping costs and any applicable taxes (e.g. VAT) depend on the delivery country and the specific setup and are therefore not shown as fixed amounts here.
All additional costs are communicated transparently before placing a binding order.
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