Using random boxes as a makeshift coffee table around the house isn’t new. If you’d rather dress it up a bit to bring an industrial furniture aesthetic to the digs, this Intermodal Coffee Table Wrap looks just like the thing to pull it off.
Do note: you’re not getting an actual table done up to look like a compact shipping container. Instead, it’s an adhesive wrap that you slap onto the walls of any box to turn it into one. They recommend using those 48-inch double-wall, corrugated cardboard boxes they sell at FedEx for 10 bucks, although you should be able to use any boxy container, like an old trunk, with similar dimensions.
Made by Tyo Toys, the Intermodal Coffee Table Wrap is an adhesive-backed vinyl wrap that’s printed with a high-res image of a well-used shipping container straight out of the local docks. Designed to wrap around boxes measuring 48 x 15 x 15 inches (w x h x d), it consists of five separate sections, one each for the top and the four sides (bottom is left as is). If you’ve ever wrapped adhesive vinyl on anything, you know it’s very easy to mess up and ruin a whole print, so make sure to take all the necessary precautions when applying this thing.
While the fact that it’s just vinyl is a bit disappointing, the end result does look great. Way better than I’d expect would have been possible with just a printed sticker. Unfortunately, the high-quality print might be the culprit for this thing’s high price. The Intermodal Coffee Table Wrap retails directly from Tyo Toys for $190.