Are you curious as to how it all started? Let us tell you a short story about this!
It is believed that live edge dining table and furniture originated in America around the 17th century when settlers began to establish themselves by building houses on the territory. The settlers quickly needed functional furniture and therefore chose to build their homes on land made of untreated wood. As America’s colonization progressed, the practice of furniture with living edges became less popular.
Live edge is a mixture of “Western” and rustic furniture styles. Originally it was categorized as rustic, but the two styles have many differences.
Most famous live-edge practitioner – George Nakashima
George Nakashima, winner of the Gold Craftsmanship Medal of the Institute of Architects, is known for leaving the natural edge of the wood as part of the finished piece, including his series for Knoll in 1946. His style is considered an extension of the Arts and Crafts movement and employs craftsmanship, which Nakashima said was “not only a creative force, but a moral idea.” He mixed Japanese, American, and international modern styles, and designed furniture lines for Knoll and Widdicomb Mueller “using wood organically and deliberately selected boards with knots, burrs and patterned grain.”
George Nakashima, Custom Sanso live edge dining table table, USA, 1987
An extraordinary story, an extraordinary man. So inspirational. Following his reasoning, we found our “moral idea” in design and found our main inspiration in abandoned wood. Surely, more than once, when you were on the beach you saw old branches of trees thrown out by the sea. They look incredible, right?
Virkerå edge dining table in very early stage of production.
Our first design showed us the path
Why not put their charm in the object that accompanies us every day? An object that not only decorates our home, but is also extremely functional and necessary? The choice fell on the table, of course. The first project from the live edge dining table series and the first in the whole history of SFD Skandinavisk Möbeldesign, was a Virkera coffee table. We tried to include in it all the elements that delighted us on this beach. We used wood naturally aged by mother nature and high-quality stainless steel. We arranged the boards so as to show the most beautiful texture and drawing of wood. This gave the table an unusual character and elegance. This particular project defined our style and allowed us to understand that what we do has its true purpose. And it is to help our tables bring a new unique value to the homes and make the householders happy and satisfied. Nice messages from them confirms our previous convictions. This means that we’re doing a really good job!
Virkerå`s live edge dining tabletop before oiling.
SFD – handcrafted with love
At SFD, we have been crafting unique oak tables for many years. We use the skills and experience acquired during this time every day, even the smallest project. We pay special attention to live edge dining tables; they were the ones that started our adventure and somehow imposed the style on what we do now. Our most popular table from this series, or among them, is Ra dining table and coffee tables like Virkera and Trahus. We not only put a lot of craftsmanship into the design and execution of each of them, but also our whole heart. Below you will find more detailed information about the tables and our craft-secrets.
Virkerå coffee table ready for shipping to Italy.
Another example of live edge furniture is the Trähus Coffee Set. The whole set is carefully made of natural, raw wood combined with hand-forged, stylish elements. The bench top is protected by the highest quality tempered glass.
The simple and functional form outlined by our designer becomes a unique filling of the interior, also serving as spatial sculptures. Although the elements of the set are fully mobile, they give the impression of being strongly combined, with the space of the living room becoming its integral part.
Live edge Trähus Coffee Set.
Rå live dining table with bench
If you are looking for inspiration or would like to learn more about our other projects, please visit Instagram and Facebook.
What makes our live edge dining tables really special?
It is not easy to answer this question given that the choice of similar tables on the market is still growing. But we will take up the challenge! We, at SFD, look for uniqueness mainly in the materials used and their history, their unusual design, and Scandinavian philosophy of Hygge, which brings it all together.
- Unique oak wood selection
The wood that comes into our workshop is also unusual. Its uniqueness is the story contained in the wood grains. Often these are wooden elements of hundred-year-old houses, naturally aged beach trees, or farm buildings found in picturesque Polish villages. Isn’t it fascinating? We derive great satisfaction from the fact that we can save such wood and give it a second life in a new form. Each element thus obtained is thoroughly checked by us, and for the production of the table we choose only those with the most interesting structure and the right strength at the same time.
New arrival of oak wood ready for new projects!New arrival of oak wood ready for new projects![/caption]
Another example of live edge furniture is the Trähus Coffee Set. The whole set is carefully made of natural, raw wood combined with hand-forged, stylish elements. The bench top is protected by the highest quality tempered glass.
The simple and functional form outlined by our designer becomes a unique filling of the interior, also serving as spatial sculptures. Although the elements of the set are fully mobile, they give the impression of being strongly combined, with the space of the living room becoming its integral part.
High quality wood oil finish
In order to preserve tabletops, we use only natural wax oils of the best brands. The oiling process is preceded by a long and laborious process of preparing the surface of the wood top. The oil itself is applied in several phases which may take several weeks. However, this is the necessary time to achieve the assumed quality of finish. If you would like to know more about why we think oil is a better choice than other forms of worktop maintenance, we invite you to read this article.
Oiled table top of Måne White extendable dining table.
Scandinavian minimalist design and Hygge philosophy
It is an equally important point for us to demonstrate the uniqueness of the tables as the other ones. Scandinavian minimalism and their way of living a good life, that is Hygge. At SFD, we believe that each table produced by us should not only become another piece of furniture, but also be a unique point for meetings in a warm family atmosphere. This is the essence of Hygge – getting a special, charming atmosphere at home.
Scandinavian minimalism is for us a determinant of an organized life and we want our tables to also fit in with this philosophy.
Is always good to find time for a little bit of Hygge!
Would you like to create your own live edge dining table?
Any bespoke ideas? We can handle it
If you couldn’t find a suitable live edge table or any other table in our store, create your own!
We also invite architects and interior designers to cooperate.
If you’re looking for other dimensions or would like to change the materials/colors we use, please contact us and ask for bespoke tables. Our designers will be happy to guide you through the whole process and make a project especially for you.
Work with us.
Are you a professional interior designer? Contact us and ask for a catalog or CAD drawings of the selected furniture.
Tags: live edge dining table, natural table, handcrafted oak table, bespoke table, oiled table, homemade table, live edge coffee table, bespoke live edge dining table
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In case of any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Artur Bieńko
SFD Furniture Design
History enchanted in wood – Virkerå coffee table.
#WLCM_HOME #WLCM_CRAFT #WLCM_DESIGN #WLCM_NATURE
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