Coffee table made by matches (Patreon)

So quick backstory: last Friday I did a Patreon livestream where I pulled a bunch of random projects out of a jar that smelled like dog food. You voted on which one I should build, and the winner was a coffee table out of matches. Because you love coffee. And fire. And think I have too much eyebrows and finger skin.

Holy fuck have I tried to figure this thing out. I have sketched. I have procured seven different types of matches. Four different mesh/perforated steel configurations. Laser cut all kinds of templates. And spent an ungodly amount of time scrolling through $799 coffee tables on Pinterest.

Making artsy shit is hard. And I really want this coffee table to look pretty. But it's such a fun challenge, and it makes me feel like I've gotten commissioned some work by a patron. Which I very much have, except for that it was 5871 patrons.

I really like the way the surface with the burnt matches looks. I was thinking of trying to paint a translucent shiny hard coat of some sort so that you can actually touch/put stuff on it. Any suggestions? Resin? Epoxy? Glue? Sweat, tears and other less accepted body fluids?

XOXO
Simone