Custom Creation Frequently Asked Questions
Each piece is custom made.
This is the story of how we do it.
Ordering a Custom Piece
Creating custom art for your home is an experience.
We want to make sure we get it just right.
You can call or email us at any time and ask for image of slabs at certain sizes or with certain design elements and we will email you images of wood that we have available—you’ll be able to see the exact wood that will make your table top helping to alleviate some of the fear of purchasing a custom piece of furniture.
What does an art furniture experience look like?
a) Initial consultation – We gather your likes and dislikes, determine the function of the piece and the rough size.
b) Slab images – We look through several options together and work out a rough slab layout.
c) We’ll place the selected slabs on hold for you while we work on the rest of the details.
d) We’ll also perform further drying to ensure we reach the right moisture content for your area.
e) We’ll create a drawing for your approval. This will include base details, measurements, and the placement of any features such as filling or tidepools (rock pool with glass inlay).
WHAT DO WE USE TO FILL TABLES?
We celebrate trees, we accentuate and refine their natural beauty and this means we have to get creative in fillings some of the bark pockets, cracks and inclusions. We use a two-part epoxy resin to create a smooth, functional surface. This fill is available in a variety of timeless colors inspired by nature.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAPLE AND ART MAPLE MAPLE?
No two pieces of wood are the same (book-matched slabs can be the mirror image of each other but even then, each is unique). We we’ve discovered in our favorite species, Western Maple, is that is useful to characterize into two grain styles, Maple and Art Maple.
Maple has movement along the live edge, grain detail, some bark pockets, knot holes or cracks (and often all of the above). We treat this with resin fills, polycarbonate rivers or tidepools and butterfly joints. These tables make up 90% of what we do and the images we show on our website.
‘Art’ maple is a classification of maple that we have created ourselves to distinguish when a higher level of design and labour is required to salvage and feature the wood and all it’s natural beauty into a table. The edges may be wilder, there is significantly more grain detail, including ‘spalting’ and significantly more bark pockets, knots and holes that need to be filled. The ‘Spalting’ is an aging process in maple (sought after by bowl turners) that leaves maple softer than usual and requires a resin infusion process to harden it and preserve it’s beauty.
Here are some examples….
Maple
Art Maple
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘JOINED’ OR ‘GAPPED’?
We use these terms to describe the layout of the wood in the table top. Unless we are using a single slab wide enough to suit your needs, we take two or more slabs from the same tree and match them to create the desired size. These two slabs can then be ‘joined’ with a lamination seam or shaped into a curvy form which lends itself to being ‘Gapped’ with a 3/8″ wide space between the planks. In this way, we celebrate the individual beauty of each huge plank.
Joined table top
Gapped
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘RIVER’ OR ‘TIDEPOOL’?
We use these terms to describe the design of the table top.
A ‘River’ table features a central pieces of shaped polycarbonate that is inlaid into the wood of the tabletop to create a ‘river’ shaped feature. Our river tables are available with and without rocks and in your choice of colors.
Our ‘Tidepool’ tables feature centrally placed, naturally shaped polycarbonate pieces. Often used to join two curvy shaped slabs together in the center or to feature a large back pocket or edge feature. Our ‘Tidepools’ are available with and without rocks in your choice of colors.
RIVER WITH ROCKS
TIDEPOOL WITH ROCKS
RIVER WITHOUT ROCKS
TIDEPOOL WITHOUT ROCKS
WHAT EDGE PROFILES DO YOU OFFER?
We have a whole page of edge profiles and their various features and uses…check it out
Bevel Edge
/ˈbev(ə)l/
noun
-
A slope from the horizontal or vertical in carpentry or stonework; a sloping surface or edge.
verb
2. Change. A square ege of an object to a sloping one.
It doesn’t get more elegant than a bevel edge. This sloping surface is perfect for the edge profile of a table and works wonders when you want to sit down and eat.
Shoreline (Resin)
/ˈSHôrlīn/
noun
-
The line along which a body of water meets the land
-
Transition
A shoreline edge is our newest creation. If you love bold, beautiful live edge, but find it rather difficult to eat around, a Shoreline table is the best of both worlds.
Typically done in clear resin, Shoreline Fill allows the live edge to shine, whilst giving you a practical straight edge when eating and drinking.
Check out more of our edge profiles on our website.
Chamfer
/ˈ(t)SHamfər/
verb
-
(in carpentry) cut away (a right-angled edge or corner) to make a symmetrical sloping edge.
“a neat chamfered edge”
noun
-
a symmetrical sloping surface at an edge or corner.
A chamfer is essentially a beveled edge along or across a corner. Although the most typical chamfer is 45 degree this is not essential.
Chamfered edges can give a table top a very clean, crisp look and become a focal point in the overall style of a project.
Check out more of our edge profiles on our website.
Straight Edge
/ˈstrādˌej/
noun
-
A bar with one accurately straight edge, used for testing whether something else is straight.
adjective
2. Having an ascetic or abstinent lifestyle.
Straight edges can be very classic and modern. The best thing about them is that they won’t overpower the beauty of your table!
Knife Edge
/nīf/
noun
-
A sharp wedge of steel or other hard material created by a precision instrument
-
A sharp narrow knife-like edge
A knife edge is a sloping cut that recedes downward and away from the topmost edge of a surface.
The result is a modern, sharp style that is sure to make a statement.
Check out more of our edge profiles on our website.
Live Edge
/liv-ej//
noun
-
Part of the living tree; the outer rings.
-
The outside limit of an object, area, or surface; a place or part farthest away from the center of something.
Live edge or natural edge is a style of furniture where the furniture designer or craftsperson incorporates the natural edge of the wood into the design of the piece, retaining the tree’s raw, natural beauty.
Check out more of our edge profiles on our website.