A dining table isn’t just a piece of furniture—it’s the heart of your home, where meals are shared, conversations unfold, and memories are made. At Design In The Sand, we believe in crafting wooden dining tables that are more than just functional; they are unique, bespoke creations tailored to your space and style. Here’s how we take a simple sketch and transform it into a stunning centrepiece.
1. Sketch It and Order Materials
Every wooden dining table we create begins with a carefully crafted sketch. This is more than just a plan; it’s the foundation of the entire process. A detailed sketch ensures we have the right dimensions, materials, and design elements in place. Throughout the build, this sketch acts as a guiding reference, keeping every stage of the process on track.
2. Crafting the Tabletop
The edge grain tabletop is the star of the show, and is a cornerstone of our unique wooden dining table offering, so we approach its creation with meticulous precision, and some unique methods and skills.
- Precision Cutting: We cut high-quality plywood into 31mm strips, ensuring each piece is uniform in width and perfectly straight.
- Bonding the Strips: These strips are carefully bonded together, with close attention to alignment. Any misalignment would create an uneven surface, so patience and precision are key.
- Drying Time: The bonded top is left to cure for 3 to 5 days, depending on air quality, to ensure a stable and durable foundation.
3. Filling and Sanding
Achieving a stunning and robust surface requires hours of meticulous work.
- Filling Cavities: Natural imperfections in the plywood are filled with a tough hardener to ensure an enduring surface.
- Sanding: We sand the tabletop in multiple stages, beginning with a coarse grit to remove any inconsistencies and gradually working our way up to a fine 120-grit finish. The goal? A silky-smooth surface that’s ready for the finishing touch.
4. Finishing the Top
The right finish can make all the difference in both aesthetics and durability, which is hugely important in a wooden dining table.
- Extra Hard Coating: We use ‘Polyvine Heavy Duty Extreme Varnish,’ a highly durable water-based varnish that offers resilience and sustainability. It’s available in Eggshell or Dead Flat finishes.
- Layering with Care: Six coats of the varnish are applied, with light sanding between each coat to create a pristine, long-lasting finish. We also varnish the underside of the table to ensure maximum stability and protection.
5. Building the Frame
A sturdy frame is essential to supporting the beautiful tabletop.
- Premium Redwood: We use top-quality redwood for its strength and reliability.
- Reinforced Structure: The frame is assembled using glue, screws, and reinforcement brackets to ensure long-term stability.
- Filling and Sanding: Just like the tabletop, the frame undergoes filling and sanding to ensure a smooth and refined look.
6. Painting the Frame
A bespoke table deserves a beautiful, customised frame finish.
- Custom Colours: We paint the frame in any colour our customers choose. ‘Little Greene’ is a popular option thanks to its high sustainability credentials and stunning finish.
- Meticulous Coating: The frame is primed (if necessary) and sprayed with three coats of paint, each layer being lightly sanded to achieve a flawless look. If the final coat doesn’t meet our high standards, additional layers are applied until perfection is reached.
Final Assembly and Delivery
Once the tabletop and frame are finished, the table is carefully assembled and undergoes a final quality check. Only when we are completely satisfied with its craftsmanship do we prepare it for delivery. Every wooden dining table we create is built with patience, precision, and pride—ready to become a cherished centrepiece in your home.
At Design In The Sand, we don’t just make tables; we craft heirlooms. From the first sketch to the final brushstroke, each piece is a testament to our passion for woodworking and design. Ready to create your dream dining table? Get in touch with us today!
