Tables

a place to work and also set coffee cups, books and plants

I like to make tables. Tables are furniture that you interact with. For a woodworker, tables can be pretty straight forward to build but, to be enjoyed as furniture, some skill is required in their design and construction.

Traditional Korean and Japanese tables were built low in profile and typically intended to serve the needs of an individual while sitting on the floor (e.g., writing, eating). Traditional Chinese furniture includes low tables, but since chairs were used in the Chinese home as early as the second century, tables of more substantial height and depth are also found in their traditional furnishings.

Tables that I have made, to date, match the dimensions of traditional East Asian desks but are instead used as coffee tables in front of a sofa or below a window. Their sturdy, 4-board construction allows for a variety of simple designs that will blend with many furnishings. I have also made end tables and smaller tables intended as plant stands. Often these have included marble tile tops for waterproof function and accent.

Consistent with East Asian furniture, some exposed joinery and a few simple curves provide sophistication but do not distract from the magnificence of the wood. This formula creates an interesting, functional and timeless piece. Some of the past Table Projects from the Red Top Workshop are shown below.