Many of my woodworking projects are for clients who want me to build timeless, one-of-a-kind pieces for their homes that they can pass down for generations. But every so often, I get to work on large-scale pieces for businesses and corporate offices. This unique walnut conference table is one of five pieces I made for a conference center.
My best friend from high school is a carpenter who referred these clients from a local conference center that needed five conference tables. The clients have been incredible to work with, and we’ve since had the opportunity to outfit two of their conference centers. In fact, many Redpoint Woodworks clients even come from sitting at those tables.
Here’s everything that went into building a one-of-a-kind conference table for this conference center.
Finding the Perfect Slab for a Unique Conference Table
This particular table was going to be the one everyone gathered around every morning for their daily in-house meetings. I’d been waiting for a specific client for this slab, and knowing people would be sitting at the table every day made this the perfect project.
I made this conference table with one of the most beautiful and unique slabs in my shop. The unique branch inclusion down in the middle has the perfect amount of figure and chatoyance (which are caused by stress and pressure to the tree, according to the University of Missouri) from birds-eye, quilting, and cathedral, adding even more character.
The walnut slab is from a huge Oregon tree taken off the edge of a beautiful cherry orchard. The tree had started to show signs of disease and needed to be removed before it got too deep — this specific slab was from the center and thus the largest one to have
come from the tree.
Harvesting the tree was awesome, too — it happened late summertime, and we all ate cherries and enjoyed the views.
The Challenges of Building a Large Conference Table
Creating a space with four conference rooms was an exciting opportunity but also a great challenge — especially since each conference table was to be unique and a different size. Because we wanted single slabs in each of the rooms, this one had to be almost an exact size in length and width.
The 56” width was hard to find in slabs this size. We were limited to nine feet in length, so having a shorter slab this width was awesome and didn’t create any waste. The metal base was also made custom. The company wanted to include its initials on the conference table, so we designed the letters A and W using an I-beam technique.
We also opted not to use a lot of epoxy on the table, which made the piece feel natural and highlighted the wood itself without too many extra details. The color and figure kept coming through during the sanding and finish process, and with each step, the conference table looked more awe-inspiring.
The Final Product
The conference tables were lifted to the fourth floor of the conference center using a telehandler — which was both frightening and exciting to watch in the dead of winter with three feet of snow everywhere.
But the work was worth it, and the clients absolutely loved this particular conference table and the other four. The dark browns and different shades of purple and red created a one-of-a-kind centerpiece for their favorite conference room. The background views of the Utah mountains only add to such a beautiful piece.
Whether you’re looking for a unique piece for your home or you’re a business looking for a show-stopping conference table, contact me today to discuss options for your interior design project.
