Best of Cleveland 2014: Coffee Table

Coffee table

What's better than listening to the Lighthouse and the Whaler's solid brand of indie rock? Listening with your feet resting on a sleek-yet-rustic coffee table made by the band's fraternal duo. Matthew and Michael LoPresti's Stag and Birch repurposes wood that's at least 80 years old from Ohio barns, leaving the imperfections for character, such as with the Hiawatha Coffee Table ($699-$1,119). The showstopper, created from raw wood that's sanded lightly, is topped with a clear coat of protectant and rests on welded steel rods, giving it an urban touch. "You get the character on top and the modern design on the bottom, and we think that is really striking," says Matthew, who came up with the idea for the company two years ago after wanting to build his newborn daughter a crib. As with their music, the brothers have achieved a level of creative fulfillment with the furniture. "It's been a really cool experience to create pieces that are unique and special," Matthew says. "It's making [us] a part of people's stories." stagandbirch.com