A beautiful custom table acts as a focal point for your dining room. Picking a standout design will ensure the table creates an inviting atmosphere and impresses your guests at first glance. Innovative designs available on the market today include inlays, hand carvings and natural cuts. The wood types and build techniques used for each table design option varies considerably to create the expected finish. Furthermore, each table is coated in a layer of lacquer or epoxy to protect its build for years to come. Read on to learn about each design's preferable materials and build techniques.

Unique Inlays

Custom furniture builders achieve amazing contrasts in their work by using interesting wood inlays. The inlay process consists of joining two separate types of wood and sanding them smooth to create a seamless plank. The main frame of this table type may be created from easily sourced woods, like maple, pine or mahogany.

For the inlays, artisans often use higher cost exotic wood species, such as ebony, bloodwood or purpleheart, featuring interesting grain designs or colors. The colors of these exotic wood varieties deepen or brighten with exposure to fresh air and sunlight. Therefore, artisans wait for the colors to reach the intended shade before sealing them up with a thick lacquer or water-based stain product. To richen the colors even more, artisans may use oil-based stains.   

Hand Carvings

Skilled artisans use sets of knives and chisels to carve out expansive landscapes, intricate figures or abstract on tabletops, legs and frames. Elm wood, which is often used for boat building, is favored when making tables with carved details. Wood from fruit trees, like mango or apple, is also preferred due to its pliable, yet sturdy, grains.

Artisans use a thick wood slab for the tabletop to allow for placement of a thick piece of glass over the carved areas. The glass provides a flat surface for eating or playing games while protecting the carved details from accidental damage or wear. After carving out the designs, builders coat the entire table in several layers of lacquer to protect the wood from moisture and scratches. To protect the curves and edges of tiny details, artisans may apply a thick layer of epoxy over the carved areas.

Natural Cuts

To obtain a slice of nature in your dining room, consider a natural cut wood table. Custom furniture builders often refer to this table type as live edge or slab cut as well. Live edge tables are an actual slice of a large tree either with or against the grain. The table may still have the bark on the edges for a rough look. You can also obtain live edge tables with the bark removed and the edges shined to a high polish.

Ring porous hardwoods, like walnut, curly maple and red oak, are favored for this project as their grains create interesting designs. Artisans may sand the table down on all sides to create a shiny, polished finish. The entire surface is often coated in oil-based lacquer to make the grains shine in the light. Simple wooden legs finish off this table to keep focus on the gorgeous surface design.

Finding Your Perfect Table

In most cases, your personal preferences regarding material type and overall design will lead you to the right table for your dining room space. If you are stuck deciding between two designs, take a close look at the rest of your room layout to identify the best complementary or contrasting style.

Carefully assess how the wooden material's grain texture, color and shape would fit into your dining room layout. Also, think about how the tables encapsulate a specific time period. For example, a carved may have an old-time feel, while inlays and natural cuts look quite modern. Click here for additional information.