After finishing our new apartment, I couldn’t find a table that was the right scale or style, so I decided to design one myself. We wanted a piece that fitted with the space and the furniture – an eight-seater that was simple, crafted and considered.
We worked with Philbe Design doing the making, and they were great. Very thoughtful team players, engaged and craft focussed. It was about the process as much as the outcome, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Oak was an easy material choice because it’s durable and sits in the same family as our floors, cabinetry and the Leonard Kadid Pier chairs. By softening the ends, we were able to get those two extra place settings without having a huge piece of furniture in the room. Our old Arne Jacobsen table, which I had had for 35 years, had those curves, and I liked the idea of continuing that here.
The whole thing is pretty simple. The detail is not obvious; it’s subtle, but if you look closely, you can understand the element of thought behind the design. The legs, for example, are two fine, joined dowels that we brought up through the top of the table to express their position and animate the surface. The top’s solid timber edges have a beautiful soft curve that runs underneath, meeting beams that curve in the same way as the legs. You can’t see that part — but it was important to carry that thought into all aspects of its design.
It’s not a table for meetings or work — it’s very much the heart of the home — and I’m lucky my office is just downstairs, so I don’t need to muddy the waters between the two. This table is for meals with family and friends, conversation, dining, a glass of wine, and it works well. It works really well!
Crosson Architects
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