The atmosphere of a great dining experience comes from those who sit down together. The conversations, the aroma of the good food, the clinking of cutlery. It might not sound like it has anything to do with a furniture workshop, but this is actually what is on top of our minds when we design and make dining room tables – we aim to create the perfect stage for family dinners and lively get togethers.
Designing a solid wood table is half art and half ingenuity – we must make sure that the table looks beautiful, is as sturdy as a rock and will last indefinitely. Let’s be honest, tables look simpler than, for instance, a cupboard. However, this simplicity requires expertise on how wood moves when you attach a large flat top on an underlying structure. Let’s take a look at all the elements our craftsmen consider when putting together a beautiful, sturdy and durable dining table.
How Many Will Be Seated
When we design a table from scratch, we start with the basic practical considerations. A dining table needs to seat a family at least, and more people on special occasions. Our Victoria Falls Bridge Table comes in four standard sizes that can sit either six, eight, ten or 12 people comfortably. However, since all our furniture is made to order we also make tables according to our customers specifications. If you are unsure what size of table will fit in your dining room, send us the dimensions, the length and the width of the room, so that we can recommend a size that is right for you.
A Top-Down Approach
The top is where all the action happens, and also the part that must first be sorted out when constructing a table. It is the most visual feature of the table, and we always choose the best possible wood for it. The top of our Victoria Bridge table is a thick solid slab of Zambezi Teak, carefully selected from the finest heartwood timber of the Zambezi teak tree. As a matter of principle, we only use solid wood, you won’t find any veneer or false edges on any of our furniture. We insist on delivering a product that is as exclusive as it is beautiful.
A Leg To Stand On
We use mostly Zambezi teak and unlike other timbers, it is so dense that it sinks in water. The result is that we must construct a base for the table that will stay stable despite its considerable weight. However, there is one caveat, the supporting structure also have a big impact on how a table looks. So besides making sure the table is sturdy, we also have to ensure that the supporting structure is elegantly designed.
We Know Wood.
Wood expands when the air is humid and shrinks when the air is dry. This means that your table top will literally move with the seasons. When this is not taken into account, it may become distorted or even break due to internal stress. We anticipate and allow for this natural movement when designing our tables. You may see a slightly different wood colour where a portion that was previously covered becomes exposed, but over time it will all blend to a similar colour. However, a table bought from The African Touch is guaranteed to remain sturdy for years to come.
Time Proven Design And Construction
The same mindset applies throughout the assembly of our furniture. We use joints such as the mortice and tenon, dovetail & sliding dovetail, expanded tenon, and half lap that have been used by woodworkers all over the world for thousands of years. Over the years our craftsmen, most of whom have over twenty years’ experience as part of the team, have become experts in techniques such as this and in producing one quality piece of furniture after the other.
The sum total of all of this is a table that is strikingly beautiful, sturdy as a rock and durable enough to be regarded as a future heirloom. Each table we make is made to order, giving us the opportunity to incorporate every client’s individual requirements. Ordering furniture from The African Touch is a completely different experience from picking out pieces in a showroom in that your furniture will be truly yours.
