This table was built for a good friend here in central Massachusetts. Let me tell you it’s story so you can understand how we can work together to create your perfect piece.

My relationship with this client began when they reached out to me because they couldn’t find a table that fit their dining room in their cabin. Everything was either too small or too wide. They wanted something that fit into the aesthetic of the cabin, was big enough to seat the whole family (with space to add significant others as kids grew up), and that still left space to walk around the table without feeling cramped.

I visited their cabin to see their existing furniture and decorations, and talked with them about their goals. We played with several mockups and sketches, and looked at other furniture that had elements that spoke to them. We laid out the size of the table there in the space to make sure it would fit and function exactly as they wanted.

I returned to my shop to begin building. A few years prior, I had milled several beautiful red oak trees from my property and carefully stored them to dry. Whenever possible, I work with locally sourced wood that has been sustainably and thoughtfully harvested. Since I had milled this wood myself, I was able to select two large symmetrical slabs with live edges to create their table top, and solid wood from the same tree to make the legs and base of the table. I selected an intriguing piece of figured wood to create a handcut bowtie to inlay into their top to stabilize the slab.

Fast forward a few years, and the family was enjoying using their new table at the cabin, but had moved into a historic home in central Massachusetts, complete with hidden compartments believed to have been used in the underground railroad. Again, the layout of the home just did not fit the tables they were finding online, and their family had grown, so they wanted somewhere where everyone could gather. Again I visited the home, saw the space, and helped talk through their goals and desires. Again I sourced locally harvested wood, this time beautiful black walnut, and built their table. This table is massive, almost 12 feet long!

Once the second table was installed in the new space, we then moved on to building several walls of built-in bookcases to match. Built-in’s in a historic home are always an adventure, scribing around the stone fireplace and dealing with roller-coaster floors, disguising chases to hold new plumbing, all while creating something that would enhance the age and character of the home.

Contact me to share your story and design the furniture for your house that will help you feel at home.