Live Edge Tables

[jyl]

Next question for the Off Topic Interior Design Forum . . .

Need a conference table, not huge, about 6' rectangular. Thinking of a "live edge" table of black walnut or similar. on chrome butterfly legs.

For the general concept of a live edge table, think something vaguely like these City Trees Furniture | Walnut Live Edge Table, 95″
Large live edge slab table - UTS Website Sales

What's your reaction to something like that? Do you think "stinking hippie", "man of wealth and taste", "flakey weirdo", "so 2000s", "cool table", etc?

[widebody911]

The edge looks dead to me

[wdfifteen]

It’s going to have to fit the decorating theme of the rest of the room or it will look weird. Got any stuffed bears or mounted deer heads?

[john70t]

For $4500 I will dump a few gallons of poly on some scrap

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Both of those tables say trying hard but failing in any setting other than one of Trumps' sons' hunting rooms. So you know these are tasteful. Just need a dead lion or leopard lying around to tie the room together. Done.

[lendaddy]

If I knew the guy paid four large for it my first thought would be "sucker". Not sure that helps though

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

It’s going to have to fit the decorating theme of the rest of the room or it will look weird. Got any stuffed bears or mounted deer heads?

I recommend the complete opposite. A theme is best left to casinos and that ilk as it's typically the quickest ticket to design obsolescence.

Those tables are nice, and would work well with modern chairs, lighting, simple wall and flooring finishes. Avoid Edison bulb light bulbs and any application of reclaimed wood if your business (I assume this is a commercial application) exudes a contemporary and undated brand. Restraint is key.

Best,

[jwasbury]

geez...tough crowd here today.

I really like the live-edge look. If I had unlimited resources, I'd have a house full of George Nakashima furniture.

https://nakashimawoodworkers.com/

He was big into the live-edge stuff. His pieces can get big $$ at auctions.

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

I'd have a house full of George Nakashima furniture. .

Great suggestion. Beautiful pieces. I had a client score a Nakashima table for a ridiculously low amount, but it was "mistakenly" disposed of during the renovation. She was crushed.

[john70t]

There was a DYI thread on this I thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ-hiw1CqyA


That is purty zeke.

[RWebb]

it depends on your clients, John

what "message" do you want to send/display?

[MBAtarga]

There's a recent thread on another forum I frequent (woodworking) and they are pretty much in agreement that live edge tables have jumped the shark. Although the pro-woodworkers view if they have a paying customer, they aren't going to turn them down.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by RWebb

it depends on your clients, John

what "message" do you want to send/display?

Yeah, it probably depends a lot on the design/execution/finish/etc. Some look a lot more "rustic" and than others.
However, I've seen a few classy live-edge tables in corporate/legal conference rooms, and they didn't look out of place at all.
If it's an obviously amateur-ish effort that would look more at home in a log cabin, then probably a no-go for the office. YMMV...

Oh, and as John posted above, there are some crazy wood/epoxy "hybrid" creations out there these days. Just web image-search "epoxy wood table" to get an idea...

[greglepore]

I have a live edge magnolia dining room table that's made up of 4-6 in boards with the outers left live. I also have a birdseye maple table that's 20 in wide by 7 ft long in the same room as a sideboard. The maple is a single slab and is stunning. Both finished with multiple coats of precat lacquer.

I really want a single slab black walnut piece that a guy in Richmond has on cl- its a raw slab that's 7ft by around 40in and is stunning. He wants around 3k for just the slab. On the fence about it, probably too much.

[jyl]

Looking at more pictures, I think I'm attracted to big slabs and gorgeous grain, more than necessarily the live edge. The "river" tables are cool and they don't have live edges.

What message?
- Not an everyday, run of the mill office
- Thinks differently from my other __________.
- Not as low budget as the gritty area and old industrial/creative building suggests

[greglepore]

[javadog]

Not a fan. Not appropriate for a corporate/business environment.

More bang for the buck to be had by buying something used, of traditional design and good quality.

[911boost]

Yep, you definitely won't find anything like that at the Obama's..... Jesus. To be clear, I am poking fun at bringing Trumps kids into this.

[gordner]

I love live edge tables, and the river tables even more. I think them to be fairly timeless, and if well executed appropriate for a lot of different applications.

I have been mulling the idea of doing a river table for the wife for next xmas.

[Scott Douglas]

Nice looking.
I once did or helped do a redwood coffee table that was all live edge.
Hard to put your feet up on it to relax though.