These days, it seems like anytime you look in a home décor magazine or watch a television show related to home design or decorating, you see a live-edge table included in the finished home design. It almost doesn’t matter what style of home is being decorated, or who the interior designer is, live-edge tables are part of the design equation.
Live-edge tables aren’t new. They are just currently staging an aggressive come-back in the interior design world—and for good reason! Live-edge tables add an interesting and unique element to any room, and can be incorporated into just about any design style. Much of this uniqueness comes from the live-edge slab of wood that’s used in the table. No two live-edge slabs are exactly the same. With live-edge slabs, you keep the natural shape of the tree, and even the tree’s bark, if desired. In other words, the individuality of the wood slab is not milled away. Rather, its unique, natural shape and texture are kept and used as assets in the table’s design.
While you can find live-edge tables in furniture stores, they are most often purchased from custom furniture makers who will take the time to select the perfect slab of wood and finish in a way that will best bring out the wood’s natural beauty. A custom furniture maker can also help their client with the design of the accompanying details that will turn a raw slab into a beautifully finished piece.
Matt Smith, owner of Smith Farms, a woodworking company in Menifee, California, had this to say about incorporating a custom live-edge table in your Temecula, Murrieta, or Menifee home: “Some people think of live-edge tables as only fitting in homes with a more modern style, but this thinking is rapidly changing. It is now very common to see live-edge tables in homes with more traditional or rustic designs, as well as in homes that have an eclectic style. In reality, live-edge tables can work in just about any home, depending on the type of wood that is used, the details included in the design, and how the table is finished. In a modern home, you might see a live edge table made from an exotic hardwood with a high-gloss finish and sleek metal legs, while in a modern farmhouse home, you would probably see a live edge table with a more natural finish and thicker wooden legs, made from a more common wood like oak or pine.”
We tend to agree with Smith—live-edge tables can be a great addition to just about any style of home. It’s all about the details. Working with a talented furniture builder with a good eye for design can help ensure that you come away with a live-edge table that fits in with your home and complements your personal style.
