Live Edge Coffee Table from ATGCC

Live edge or natural edge is a style of furniture that incorporates the natural edge of the wood into the design of the piece. Live edge furniture often incorporates gnarly wood like salvaged wood that could not be used in conventional woodworking. There are special challenges involved in working with this type of wood, and several methods for live edge have developed as it has gained popularity in home design. When working with a live edge piece of lumber, some leave the natural holes and cracks in the wood while other artists fill them with resins.

A client recently came into the Against the Grain Design Center and found a beautiful live edged maple wood slab and fell in love. They had no idea how to incorporate it into their design scheme, but we had some ideas! After talking through it, they decided to go with a custom coffee table built from the maple live edge slab. We went to work and used a wood planer to reduce the thickness of the surface of the wood making the piece 2 7/8” thick after planing. A wood planer is used to flatten, reduce the thickness of, and impart a smooth surface to a rough piece of lumber or timber, whether it be a large cut of wood (slab) or a simple board for a timber deck. A wood planer will do the perfect prep work for the job!

The planed slab was 26” x 39” and 19” tall. If you examine the edges of the wood slabs, the rough, thick texture of the tree’s surface is still visible.  The natural origins of the wood are readily apparent. After all, at Against the Grain Creative Concepts, we believe that reclaimed wood furniture stands out from the rest because it has character! We preserve the history of the wood, leaving the saw cuts, scars, and distinctive markings. We believe that scars have stories! The inevitable marks of use, utility, and age shouldn’t be erased, they should be embraced. These marks, mars, and scars don’t detract from the beauty and artistic expression of an item, rather they are proof that it has value, that it was used, that it was loved, so we loved tying this live edge maple slab into a more modern piece!

Just a small mess! We’re here for the #Sarcasmandsawdust

The slab was sanded, clear coated, and finally mounted on hairpin legs to give it that "sleek look" the client requested. 

For a custom furniture solution, contact us today to set up an appointment, or reach out directly by phone at 1 (262) 764-9366 or via email at Scott@atgcc.net.