We knew we needed a really big coffee table. They do exist on the market, but there were thousands that I liked. And if you spend a lot of change, we wanted to work with local manufacturers to create something unique and special. Additionally, I wanted to create joy and build relationships through the process (and learned a lot to share). So today I’m going to walk you through a two-month process that I enjoyed every second of. (Oh, check out that sofa 🙂 )
Our living room (a few months ago)
swivel chair (From the opening photo) | rug | cross section | leather pouf (similar) | leather sofa | rattan ottoman | candlestick | chandelier | black side table
In case you need a visual reference, this is the old version of the living room before we finalized the placement and got the new pieces. But you get the idea. It’s a large, passing space, so an organic shape (or oval) is even better. We could have chosen a few different methods, but in practice we needed a huge dark live-edge table for the following reasons:
1. because it’s so grounding – The centerpiece of a large dining table, so to speak.
2. It is an organic shape that is neither round nor square. (i.e. a nice contrast/addition to both of these typical furniture shapes).
3. Since it is literally the root of a tree, it cannot be mass-produced in the same way as other materials. – This shape never exists in any other table. I’m not obsessed with customizing something just for the sake of exclusivity, but I also didn’t want to customize something that would soon be thrown away. Yes, live-edge coffee tables have been around for decades and I didn’t come up with the concept, but the shape, species and age of the tree play a big role in the design and are inherently non-replicatable. I love that it is possible.
Four. I have decided that I will never get tired of high-quality wood, everything. With that fact, I feel okay to invest more in it. Yes, there are better affordable versions on the market and I love it too. But this shape just ticks a bunch of checkboxes for me.
Five. It is my selfish belief that all things have energy, and that living things especially have a soul. That’s why we used reclaimed wood for our mountain house and xena wood floors for this one. I want to make sure (as much as possible) that the wood I bring into my home has had a happy life as a tree, and that the people working with it have lived happily (same with tiles, that’s what I love). is the reason) Pratt + Larson and rejuvenation Lighting) I hope you too have a happy life. This is an old (and happy?) thing that went down in Southern Oregon in the 70’s (so we were told). Honestly, most trees in Oregon are very happy and have a good life so I wasn’t worried about that, but I wasn’t too interested in buying from a “dealer”.
So I texted inside out, a local maker/artist in a town I love and flagged for him. I said I would be interested in a coffee table if you find a giant plank of wood ideally reclaimed let me know. After meeting Pearl at a flea market last year, I managed to collaborate with him because his energy is incredible, playful, very creative, artistic, and very prolific. (I think he’s going to be a real artist, y’all). At this point in my career, I am extremely grateful to be able to hire local makers and artists to create artworks in my home.
A few weeks later he texted me a photo:
He said it measures 46 inches by 62 inches and is reclaimed redwood that had clearly been refinished in the ’70s and the finish wasn’t in the best shape. It was so big that it was probably a very old (happy) tree. I was tempted to look for something bigger, but with a tight deadline, I thought maybe this would be enough. So I asked Purl if it could be refinished to be less glossy/battered to make the hard edges more organic. He said absolutely yes and a week later sent these pics.
stripping, sanding, planing, shaping
so beautiful. He sanded and planed the wood to soften the hard edges and give the whole table a more organic shape. yes. yes. yes. I knew I wanted a dark, rich wood, so I didn’t need to look at it at this point. I sent him some reference photos of the dyeing colors I wanted and he chose them.
first stain coat
The first coat brought out all the grain movement and I loved it, but they immediately asked me to make it darker. We were hopeful (and pretty confident) that a few more coats would even out and lighten the orange color.
visit to the studio
The work of Pearl and other artists is past life makerspace It has been an incredible inspiration for the tour. We went to see it in person, confirmed agreement on which side was ‘up’, and discussed basic ideas. Pearl suggested that his friend Billy, a local blacksmith and studio mate, help with the design. At this point I knew I could choose a simpler and cheaper method to create a large chunky cloth wooden base, but when Purl suggested doing a custom ironsmithing job, I realized what that meant. Very excited to find out what it means.
I treated this like a proper commission to submit my needs/wants and initial ideas (never done before). But I really wanted them to not only dictate the design, but give them creative freedom. So, in addition to the refinishing, he hired Purl to supervise the direction of the base art and complete it on time.
These were the first design sketches for Purl’s legs. On the right he points to sculptor Alberto Giacometti for inspiration. The left side had various leg repeats, the first leg being too structured and the third leg being too simple, so it landed closer to the center.
This is a great early sketch by Purl that ended up being pretty close to the final product. I wanted to keep the coffee table low to emphasize the feeling of being “grounded.” We landed on 13″ legs to fit our 2″ thick slabs. I think 15 inches is just the right height for the space. As a tip, the coffee table can of course be taller, but if it’s huge it should be low (IMO).
These were the different leg samples we examined with Billy. We have taken into account the diameter of the legs. Too thick and it feels weird and clunky, too thin and it doesn’t give you enough volume. We also discussed whether the base of the foot should be more bell-shaped, and whether the bell-shape should be sharper, rounded or rounded. We then discussed the details, what the shape of the ball should be, whether it should be more organic or uniform, how many balls to put on each leg and crossbar. A lot of stories about balls.
Next, it’s time to look at the crossbars (“stretchers” as Pearl calls them). We discussed height and where the ball would land on our legs. We talked about actually crossing the grate, but we thought it would be too busy to convey the craftsmanship. We discussed the pattern of the balls (Do they all need to be crossed? Are there only a few? Does the number of balls on the long crossbar match the number of balls on the short bar? should be uniform in ?). We also discussed how to connect them, and even riveted them on, but decided that welding would be better. Welding looks cleaner and requires less money and effort.
They then returned for a third visit to approve the legs and determine leg/bar spacing and placement. The timber here represents the length of the crossbar. Close to the final product (and we were so excited), next is the final staining, then sealing the wood, forging the legs and crossbars, sealing them, attaching the legs, and delivery. The timing was a little tricky as the sealant can take up to 12 hours to cure, but these two girlfriends worked hard to meet the deadline.
Price/Hour Breakdown:
So while I’m not comfortable publishing their hourly rates on the internet (it’s up to them and subject to change at any time), I’m not sure how much effort goes into this kind of craftsmanship. I thought it would help me understand what is being done (especially for the guys) for the prototypes, they said if they hired me to do these more it would be faster because they are doing a lot of troubleshooting).
- The slab itself was $600 (for reference, this was a very good price, so expect a higher price if you’re dealing with a dealer, but for a found/refurbished/vintage piece like this if you like us you can get some deals)
- Blacksmith Billy worked 20 hours
- Pipe material cost $145
- 15 hours of dyeing, sealing and art direction for pearls
- The total surcharge was $200
The total amount I paid was $3,650. It felt a little more expensive than I first thought, but honestly, we consumers tend to think it’s easier and cheaper to make than it actually is, so the amount of time and ingredients we put into it is totally worth it. I felt very respectful and honest. I am grateful and proud to have come to a time in my career and life to support such craftsmanship.
Want to see my eternal coffee table??
There she is! ! ! is she a revolutionary? no! And it’s perfect and exactly what I wanted. It’s a great piece that everyone will comment on at the moment it arrives. It’s the perfect height and size for the room (at first I thought it could be bigger, but it’s ideal). The deep, dark finish of the top plate is exactly what I imagined, and the hand-forged legs are neither too simple nor too flashy.
I’m worried about the edges. They are so beautiful, sculptural and truly a work of Mother Nature.
I love that it creates a really rich depth to the room instead of the modern white oak color. Also, with this finish (leaving the edge shine) it’s a much better representation of the 60’s and his 70’s, which I love. It’s not your grandma’s live edge table, but it could be. It just feels timeless and timeless.
I love how Pearl and Billy’s feet are “random”. Mr. Pearl planned the whole pattern and he created and named different shapes and repeated the shapes on all four crossbars.
this is inside out, To the left. Everyone should follow him. He spent his 18 years in the commune where he studied and practiced every art form and medium known to mankind. His knowledge of art history is very impressive. I personally hope to see him next season.make(FYI, the show is awesome and our kids love it as much as we do). I’m glad I hired him before he exploded. I’m sure he will. 🙂
this is billy Like most artists/makers, he’s not very active on social, but he does have an account if you want to hire him. both, past life makerspace I am excited to explore it in the years to come, along with many other artists.
thank you very much inside out (left) and billy (Right) This piece of craftsmanship I call a coffee table. we are very happy with it. Consider the “Henderson family coffee table heirloom” box ticked forever (well, unless your next living room is tiny 🙂 But it will stay in the family forever). I am so happy and proud that this blog (and you) can help advance and grow someone’s career and livelihood. It’s not in anyone’s budget to do this (and I’m so glad there’s an affordable version of this on the market), but support local makers and artists in your area to get something like this If you have the budget to do that, I think this is a great way to utilize your design fabrics and honestly makes you feel better about the other consumption that is inevitable 🙂 We feel that pieces that tell a story (heirlooms, travel souvenirs, vintage pieces, etc.) are what really make a home. xx
*Photos of the living room: Kaitlyn Green
