Basically every live-edge slab that comes through the doors of our workshop here at Cannon Hill is a stunner. We’re very fortunate to work with vendors and clients who have deep appreciation for the beauty of the natural materials we use every day, and who share our taste for gorgeous wood. It means that we get to work with the cream of the single-slab crop each and every day. Every once in a while, though, a slab or two comes in that’s just on a different level. This was one of those.
Truth be told, we knew what we had on our hands with this one before we even took it off the truck. This variety of walnut, Claro, comes from the American northwest, where it developed when native trees and imported eastern European ones were grafted and cross-pollinated. Claro is famous for its gorgeous grain patterns and truly stunning figure; we see our fair share of it in the shop, but it’s not every day that all the elements come together as beautifully as they do here.
The swirls and figure of this slab were apparent even before we’d done our surfacing and sanding work, which tells you something about how intense they are. Typically, it’s only after we’ve worked the wood touch-smooth that we start to see the degree of detail we saw at the rough stage on this one. Sure enough, everything just intensified and intensified all the way through finish.
On a top as spectacular as this one, we want bases that do it justice. Happily for us and our clients, we have the capacity for really quite inventive custom steelwork. For this piece in Portland, ME, we went with a relatively subtle design that speaks to the black metal fixtures that were already in the apartment, as well as to the curves in the chairs. There’s also, in the design of these legs, an echo of the cast-iron fixtures and furniture from New England’s industrial past.
We build all sorts of furniture in all sorts of styles. Some of it is ultra-contemporary and some is deeply historical. Much of it manages to bridge the gap, recalling the things we love from furniture of the past and drawing in the best of today. If you’d like to discuss how best to bring custom furniture to life for your space, then fill in the “Contact” form below, email info@cannonhillwood.com, or call 857-567-2089. We hope to hear from you soon.