Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Limed Oak Tables and Custom Furniture

This beautiful hood above was made by a Houston area carpenter. It has gorgeous wood carved details and is the featured focal point of this kitchen remodel project I worked on last spring. Beautiful carpentry is a real art and it is one of my favorite things to design and detail. I love working with carpenters on a project and see my designs come to life at the hands of these skilled artisans. This area is full of talented carpenters seeking projects to work on due to the downturn in the construction business. I would like to encourage everyone to seek out local people to build tables and other furniture for your homes to get real value for your money and to keep our talented craftsmen busy during this tough economic time. The big advantage to having your furniture custom built locally is that you can tailor your furnishings to fit your needs, get unique finishes and sizes, and add or delete details as you wish. Another bonus...you don't have to wait 3-4 months for delivery and no expensive shipping charges!

Another beautiful carpentry project, a custom entertainment center, using wood grillwork for panel inserts to allow for air and sound to pass through for equipment and speakers. This piece is not finished yet, but will be a gorgeous, functional addition to this family room.

Don't you think that a carpenter that can build these beautiful built-ins can build furniture and tables as well?

A console table from Restoration Hardware.


A kitchen island made for a kitchen remodel by one of my local carpenters, similar in style to the console from RH.



This gorgeous trestle table seen in Elle Decor last month has everyone wanting one just like it for their homes.


This Avignon table from RH is sadly not available anymore.



Here is a custom table I had made for a client, similarly styled and sized to fit their small space. They wanted a black finish with a stained wood top to fit in with their decor. (Sorry for the fuzzy pic!) It is very similar to the Avignon.


Here it is unfinished, you can imagine what a lime wash finish on it would look like? Beautiful! This base design could easily be adapted to a side table, a larger round table, or a long trestle table. When the trends change, just have it refinished! This is quality that will last.



Here is a Restoration Hardware zinc mirror that I wanted to use on a project, but it was too big! I looked high and low for a smaller version of this quatrefoil shape in a mirror but could not find one. So I had one custom made.



My carpenter did a great job, can't wait till it's finished. Now, this is the perfect size and proportion for what I wanted.



Here is another balustrade look console he made for my building lobby.



With a beautiful finish, it looks spectacular in the space!

I want to keep these wonderful craftsmen in business and available for use. We all know most of our furniture these days is made overseas, so how nice to keep the work at home. Lead times are great now for custom work, literally a few weeks. Many furniture manufacturers are quoting 3-4 months for some items. They aren't keeping stock in the U.S. because of the slow economy. When you buy local you also have no shipping, just a delivery charge.

My carpenters are eager to start new projects and they love building furniture. I have great finishers that can do any type of stain, lime wash, or faux finish you can dream up. Having something like a dining table custom made for you is such a treasure. It can be an heirloom piece that you will enjoy and share with your family and friends for years to come, a wonderful investment that will stand the test of time.


If you want to get pricing on a custom furniture piece for your home, contact Aston Design Studio today!




4 comments:

Carol@6WilsonBlog.com said...

Just gorgeous work. I agree, keep it local. :)

Teresa Hatfield ~ Splendid Sass said...

Beautiful. Love Restoration hardware. I have my eye on one of their limed dining tables.
Wonderful post!
Teresa
xoxo

Verdigris Vie said...

I am a huge supporter of getting custom work done locally. It is well worth it to keep business withing the community and get to add all your personal touches..

Vie

Dr. Dank's Delightful Daydreams. said...

I am just getting into the furniture business myself and tables are my focus. I also buy red oak in bulk and sell to local furniture makers and hobbyist in my area. I buy it kiln dried and in the rough. I mill it to your specs.

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