I found this table by designer John Reeves in some home decor magazine a year or so back:

A simple, elegant twist on a Victorian table, no?
So that's what Ben and my dad built:
We found a standard table leg at Lowe's, and quartered it to make the table legs. I wasn't involved in the actual table making (involved the purchase of a biscuit making machine, which made the table more expensive than a store bought option, but Ben very happy) but afterwards it was painted with a high gloss lacquer.
(note: The chairs are from Ikea, but I thought they looked right. The rug underneath is one of our Turkish souvenirs.)