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Rustic Oak Harvest Table |
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Rustic Oak Harvest Table |
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(Click any photo for a close-up view)
(Click any photo for a close-up view)
This harvest table design emerged from the client's desire for a new dining table using lumber sawn from antique timbers. The unique character of this reclaimed lumber nearly always implies furniture of a rustic nature, so a harvest table design with large proportions was a natural fit. Several large white oak timbers that were still in great condition were resawn into thick lumber suitable for the table top and the large legs (see top row of photos). Care was taken to retain the order in which boards were sawn from these old timbers so that they could be bookmatched during assembly of the table top. The final appearance of the table top (see middle row of photos), from it's random knots and small cracks to it's tightly spaced annular rings (not found in commercially harvested lumber today), was exactly what the client had in mind when they first purchased those old timbers.
Several other design details for this project are worth mentioning. First is the use of arched table aprons and a small bull-nose molding around the bottom of the apron (see bottom row of photos). The arches in the aprons tend to "lighten" the visual appearance of the otherwise massive-looking harvest table, especially with the 1.25" thick top. The bull-nose molding adds an element of visual interest, especially as it wraps around the tops of the table legs in continuous fashion. The legs themselves have been tapered to also lighten the appearance and a small cove has been cut in the corners of the legs to provide another visual point of interest. Overall, these small design details give a very understated air of elegance to the traditional, rustic look of a harvest table.
Throughout this entire process, especially as the construction of the harvest table was underway, I continued to marvel (as I still do today) at the fact that the lumber I was saving/reusing was growing as a tree in the mountains of North Georgia in the mid-1700's. This idea meshes perfectly with the "family heirloom" premise on which my company was founded and I'm hopeful that this table will see another century of use as it is handed down in my client's family.
60" long, 39" wide, and 30" tall.
The harvest table described on this page was part of a series of projects with the client, using lumber sawn from antique timbers. Other projects built from this special lumber include a set of Rustic Oak Kitchen Cabinets, a Rustic Oak Sideboard, and a pair of Rustic Oak Side Tables. For examples of other kitchen tables, please visit the Tables & Desks page. To see other rustic styled furniture or cabinetry projects, please visit the Rustic page.
$1595 for the white oak table shown above, not including costs for the specially milled white oak lumber. Prices for other wood species or other table sizes will vary.