From Trust to Statement Piece
Some of our favorite projects begin with detailed design. This copper inlay dining table began with something even better: trust.
Our very sweet homeowner clients commissioned a 70-inch round dining table for their new home. Their direction to us was essentially:
Music to Scott’s ears.
Now complete, the table is the first thing you see when you walk through their front door. And what an entrance. But getting from that first conversation to the finished piece took a few turns, some middle-of-the-night thinking, and plenty of figuring things out in our Phoenix shop.
A design that found its way back
From the beginning, Scott imagined creating this table using individual pieces of eucalyptus fitted together in an organic puzzle-piece design.
During our second consultation, however, we started kicking around the idea of a wood-river table. We began exploring a design with acacia flowing through the center and eucalyptus surrounding the outside.
But the closer we got to building it, and the more time Scott spent waking up in the middle of the night, the clearer it became that the material wanted to become the puzzle-piece table he had originally envisioned.
We shared that thought with our client, and she gave us the green light to follow it.
Scott developed the overall concept around some special eucalyptus that felt right for the project.
Phil, one of our very talented craftsmen, then translated that vision into the elegant, flowing puzzle-piece lines using our CNC machine.
Each section was numbered, cut, arranged, and carefully fitted together to form the 70-inch surface.
One of the things we love about custom work is that the design is not always a straight line.
It is a collaboration between the client’s desires, Scott’s vision, the material itself, and the skill of our craftsmen bringing it all to life.
Sometimes we explore another direction, only to discover that the first instinct was right. The wood had a say and knew what it wanted to be all along.
Then came the copper
Our client had also expressed interest in incorporating copper somewhere in the design.
Once we returned to the puzzle-piece concept, Scott proposed adding copper inlay into the seams of the dining table, along with a copper band around the outer edge. The inlay would highlight the connections, making each one an intentional part of the design.
Scott has a way of looking at wood and seeing possibilities that the rest of us haven’t considered.
He also has a way of making those possibilities Phil’s problem.
Fortunately, Phil is an exceptional craftsman, with the patience and meticulous eye to work through the details until they’re right.
There may have been a few choice words along the way. The copper band alone gave him plenty of opportunities.
A 2″ hand hammered copper band wraps the perimeter of the dining table, with additional copper details bringing the whole piece together.
The people behind the piece
This kind of work asks a lot of the people making it.
There’s no instruction manual for a table like this. Each detail takes experience, ingenuity, and a willingness to keep figuring things out.
We’re lucky to have people in our shop who care so much about getting it right.
I’m personally in awe of what Scott, Phil, and Alfonso do in our shop every single day. We share the finished pieces, but I want to share more about the remarkable people behind them, too.
We’re also lucky to have clients who give us room to explore.
Let’s Build Something Extraordinary Together
Our client embraced Scott’s vision and trusted us through the challenges of bringing it to life. Her enthusiasm, patience, and support meant so much to us.
Now she and her husband are thrilled with their new statement copper inlay dining table, and we couldn’t be happier to see it become such a special part of their new home.
Have something in mind for your home? We’d love to hear about it. Book your consultation at Ironwood Mills here.