Wood Art Table as Home Decor
While there are many features within a home that can make or brake the space, furniture is the ultimate deal maker or breaker. Out of all the furniture that can make your home interior design come together it is a custom wood table.
The right wood with the right design can give a beautiful wood art table.
Keep in mind we are discussing just the table. Typically a furniture store will sell a package deal with chairs although individual prices will be listed per item.
Clearly in that setting the table and chairs for a dining room were made to match. With a living room the side tables also are made to accent the couch or love seat.
With a wood art table the cards in the deck are very different. Depending on the table design it will fit into any space as a focal point no matter the color or design of most other pieces. Custom work offers a lot of benefits and flexibility depending on how unique a piece can be.
Is A Custom Wood Table A Fad Or Long Term Investment?
Some have claimed this evolution of custom wood tables, especially with a live edge, is a fad that will go away. I have no issues with calling out a fad and discussing how horrible the idea is such as with improperly done shiplap walls.
For custom wood tables I seriously do not think this is the case. In truth this style is a traditional Japanese art form which has prevailed through history.
Know that I am not saying this for my own personal benefit in my work. I do not make tables nor do I ever plan on doing so. It just is not my thing to make so please do not ask me to.
I know fine woodworking and enjoy smaller creations. My personal professional taste considers tables to be more general carpentry yet with custom tables I definitely see the wood art side of things.
There is really the truth of it all when you look at this discussion. It is a piece that is created for someone. If you get involved in the creation process at least on the level of wood selection it has a personal meaning.
Here you step beyond it being just another piece of furniture. Add this with unique cabinetry and you have revolutionized your space.
I wish to combine this topic of fad or investment with another related topic for it is important to bring full circle. After all larger items like kitchen tables really are an investment no matter where you get them.
So let’s factor in the money side of this picture.
Cost to Value for Custom Wood Tables
Price any nice table from a notable furniture retailer. Get away from Ikea and into a real furniture store. We have to be apples to apples in comparison so the manufactured piece needs to at least be solid hardwood of some kind.
Likewise the base of the given table must match in concept close to what you have in mind. For a dining room table from a nice store typically it will have a solid wood base of some design.
When you begin to compare the cost from the nice furniture store to having a custom wood table made to your specifications it would surprise you. Here locally where I live you can actually come out saving money.
In most locations around the country you at least come close to breaking even. Yet know that it can be more expensive especially if you add nice features such as an epoxy river.
Still with some of these features the additional cost is not that much more. Indeed the ultimate factor will come down to the wood you select for the project.
There are slabs that run thousands of dollars before any work is done to them at all. Yet if you pay attention to my article on wood selection process you can walk away with some nice steals.
Items such as this typically define the home interior design rather than being a fad compliment to it. Items such as these are worth investing more money into as compared to a painted shiplap wall that has no real value. With these tables there is an added hidden benefit few often think about.
What if one day you decide that you do not like the table as it is. For whatever reason it just doesn’t work any longer.
In terms of a manufactured dining room table you have to sell getting nothing out of it to spend an enormous amount for a new one. For a custom made table you can retool it to make it something new.
It may be that you can retool the table to appear brand new such as removing the live edge. You could make it more symmetrical by length and width or perhaps change its legs or base.
It is solid wood by your design and creation. It does not get thrown away or sold at a massive discount in your front yard. This is why I do not understand those who say custom wood tables are a fad.
Their potential reaches far beyond the manufactured versions.
The unfortunate thing about manufactured tables of any kind is that often they cannot be retooled as easily as one would think. I have personally tried doing this with some for personal diy.
It is not that it is impossible, it is just usually not worth it. In my past attempts I came across portions of prefab that were used in conjunction with the “solid wood” that made the re-purpose unusable.
Custom Wood for a Custom Table
Here is where the fun begins. Once you have found someone to make your table you have a say in the process. Know up front that a maker or artist may not have the wood on hand that you like. Yet his supplier usually will.
My advice to you is this. If you really want a unique piece that is unlike anything your friends will have get involved in the process. You may find a way to cut a deal for custom benches along with the table.
Most makers or artists will not have an issue with you going with them to their supplier to select the wood for your table. In fact some will prefer it unless you have a picture to show them saying make something like this.
Be careful with a picture and the words “like this”. Picking the wood you like gives a lot of power to the outcome.
In the selection process you have many choices. Live edge as compared to no live edge. Shape as well as species and color.
Most wood slabs used for tables are not symmetrical. If you are having a buffet or coffee table made this is less complicated. Yet for a dining room table know the space in the room for comfortable seating to be made.
A very unique option but also rare to find is driftwood lumber. It can make some of the most unique and beautiful tables one has ever seen. Resourcing driftwood can be a challenge but the payoff is definitely worth it.
Table Legs – What Not To Do With A Custom Wood Table
I will get the exception out of the way. If your home has a modern feel to it utilizing modern legs such as metal framing makes sense.
In this case the modern and rustic combination to the piece is needed to better fit into the home. Yet generally this will not be the case in most homes.
The beauty behind a custom wood table comes from not just the slab top but also what supports it. The legs help to define the table. Communicate well with the maker or artist so that you know what will be used.
I have seen beautiful slabs of wood that are made into an amazing dining room table to just be ruined. When generic metal framed legs are thrown underneath and it is called finished I shriek in horror.
For longer and heavier slabs that are often used for dining rooms or buffets a natural V log is often best for legs. This is not required, but it looks really good and is very supportive of the weight.
Understand that when I say log the timber can be milled down to appear as you like. It does not have to remain as a log.
Individual pieces of lumber can be used for each leg. If you want a more uniform appearance from leg to leg cut dimensionally consider using an alternate species of wood than what the top is.
If the table slab is Maple perhaps Walnut legs would compliment as a contrast.
Personally for a custom wood table I hate dimensional cuts especially for legs. The natural look for the table top people generally agree in liking.
Yet the natural look on the legs depends on the selection of lumber. Here is where being in the process matters.
Selecting the right supporting pieces will give the table the ultimate beauty as an accent to a room or as a focal point.
Trust me when I say that the right selection can take the table from being pretty or nice to the next level of defining the space within a room. Please avoid the stubby metal frames of modern deco if you can.
Live Edge or No Live Edge?
In recent years people have rushed to live edge slabs for everything. It is used in more than tables. Shelving and fireplace mantles are other features that support this in homes.
I have also seen this on bar tops and some counter tops. Many will have beautiful Japanese butterfly joints to hold parts of the slab together.
Personally I love the look of the live edge. Yet there is something to keep in mind when choosing this. Fit and function is sometimes more important than appearance.
An example of this is the bar top or counter top where it becomes critical. On a straight slab the live edge would be perfect as long as it stays fairly uniform with the slab.
If the edge curls out too far it can become more problematic than you may desire.
For dining room tables this is also a major consideration. The space will be used often so it must be comfortable as well as functional.
Once again here is where being in the selection process of the timber to be used matters. Do not be afraid to get involved.
Smaller tables are usually of less impact. In fact it is on these smaller tables where the live edge really helps to accent the room defining its feel and appearance.
You can let the live edge of these pieces run wild truly adding to the beauty and unique nature of the piece. Here is where natural wood art with minimal human intervention can be very nice.
Wood Art in Custom Wood Tables
This topic is where cost will go up but the outcome is exponential in home styling. This idea is less applicable to the dining room table but more for a show piece.
If the slab is small enough you can take it to a wood artist to have custom carving done in the piece.
What do you do if the piece is too large or if there is not a local wood artist near you? Guys like me who do panel wood art can accommodate.
You take the panel art to the table maker. He then tools the wood removing the appropriate material out of the slab to set the wood panel into the slab. It becomes an art inlay with the piece.
If at some point you decide to do away with the table but you want to keep the art, it can be cut out and then hung from a wall. Alternatively it could be set once again into another table.
Resource management is everything in getting the most out of any home interior design. Resource management is about more than the wood material and its use in function, it is also about the money.
What Does the Price Point Of A Custom Wood Table Buy You?
Sometimes buying the best does not mean spending a fortune. Yet when it does cost more typically it is not only more serviceable for your family, but it also gives you alternative options rather than throwing the resource away.
This is why prefab pieces in the end can cost more than the real deal. You are limited by the scope of the design and the function which they perform.
The real trick in matching price point to serviceability and long term alternative options is finding the right maker or artist. Just like in resourcing wood finding the smaller shops and local woodworker can be a major win.
Solid custom wood designs can always be repurposed or redesigned. This can save a lot of money down the road with a change in decoration or a remodel.
At whatever price point you find yourself at always ask if it can be considered a throw away. If the price is too steep for throwing away then consider custom made items for the home.
With the higher price tags at least you are buying options at that point. No one likes watching their money walk away at a yard sale after having virtually given away what cost you so much.