Time for a dining table. This one is an 8-seater which is large enough to be an occasional 10-seater. To accommodate so many placings I thought I would go for a pedestal design. The table length was a slight limiting factor and so I opted to go slightly wider and have two placings at each end to give a 10-seater 3-2-3-2 configuration.
The final design has two thick and wide legs with a large ellipse cut-out in each. Large overhangs at the ends give sitters enough leg-room, and in normal 8-seat mode the space between the legs allows two chairs on each side to be stored. The apron below the table-top is extended at each end to support the long overhangs – and the ends of the overhangs are tapered using an elliptical shape. A stretcher fastened at the base of the ellipses provides additional strength and aesthetic detail.
The table top is made from multiple staves of oak, of various widths and exemplify many of oak’s natural variations in colour and grain. The top is 25 mm thick but with an additional 25 mm lipping underneath it gives the appearance of a 50 mm thick top but with half the weight. The lipping has been created by trimming the top on all sides and “folding” the trimmed pieces underneath. This gives a perfect colour match and also provides a beautiful detail where the grain appears to be mirrored along the edges – and mostly obviously on the end-grain.
The main apron was joined to the legs using a cross-lap joint, and the stretcher was fitted using half-lap joints. This made the whole of the base structure super strong and the oak pegs were added mostly as a decoration. An elm butterfly insert was placed underneath the table-top to stabilise a shake (natural split) and to prevent it potentially splitting more in future. Generous round-overs were provided at the table edge at the client request, and these were also applied to the other visible edges.
As part of my design process I using computer modelling. This allows me to trial multiple designs quickly and to present them to clients. As is often the case, when I delivered my dining table to the client I was too preoccupied with the client to take good photos of the table – so I have included the renders here which let you see the full design.
Dimensions are approx. 2200 mm long x 1200 mm wide x 760 mm high. The table was finished in Osmo grey tint at the client’s request to match their home’s interior.
