Designing your dream dining table

June 16, 2025

A few years ago, a client approached us with a request: to design their dream dining table. The challenge? They weren't quite sure what that looked like.

They had recently completed building their new home, having demolished their original residence. During the demolition, they noticed some beautiful old hardwood joists but, lacking the space and foresight, they didn't retain them.

We presented several table designs, but they decided to explore other options. Over the next year, they searched extensively but couldn't find anything that resonated with them as much as our initial designs. Eventually, they returned to us, saying, "We spent a year looking at numerous other tables, but we never found anything quite as beautiful as the one you showed us. Can we go ahead?"

Crafting the perfect design

We revisited the original design, making slight modifications to the leg structure to enhance both aesthetics and functionality. The result was a stunning, elegant, and sophisticated table. The artistic leg design not only adds visual lightness but also maximizes legroom, especially important for a round table.

Honouring the past with reclaimed timber

Remembering the client's regret over not saving the original joists, we sought to incorporate a similar history into their new table. We sourced century-old timber from an Art Deco home in Sydney that had been demolished. The client desired blackbutt timber—a beautiful light brown wood with gorgeous veins. What we found was even more special: wormy chestnut, a variety of blackbutt marked by distinctive patterns left by a non-invasive worm. Initially, the timber appeared dirty and unremarkable, but once cleaned, its incredible character was revealed.

We were so taken with this timber that we purchased additional pieces for future projects, including one for our own home.

The Making Process

Tabletop Preparation:

Planing and Thicknessing: We began by revealing the timber's character, planing and thicknessing the boards to achieve flat faces and 90-degree edges at the desired 40mm thickness.
Cutting to Length: Boards were cut to general lengths, considering the grain patterns to ensure the most beautiful sections were featured.
Sorting Boards: We arranged the boards so that adjacent pieces had opposing grain directions, reducing the risk of future warping.
Glue-Up: Timber dowels were inserted along the board lengths to maintain alignment during glue-up. Due to the table's width, we glued it in halves before joining them together.
Sanding and Shaping: After removing excess glue, we sanded both sides smooth and cut out the circular tabletop.

Watch Instagram reel of this process (best viewed with sound on)

Cupping reduction: to further ensure that the timber doesn't move over the duration of its life as a table, we cut a channel out of the base of the table and put a metal bar in there. This keeps the table straight and allows for necessary seasonal movement.

Leg Construction

The legs were crafted to complement the tabletop, ensuring stability and aesthetic harmony. Their design allows for ample legroom and contributes to the table's overall elegance.

A table with a story

This project exemplifies our commitment to creating furniture that tells a story and stands the test of time. We walk alongside our clients throughout the entire process, ensuring their vision is realized with craftsmanship and care.