Hollywoods

Mr. Chan approached TruWood Artisans seeking custom dining room furniture that would allow him to host very large dinner parties, but not be committed to an extra large table at all times.

Together with the homeowner, we designed and built two tables that would suit his needs, look remarkable and be comfortable as well. We also built a custom server cabinet for storage of glassware and other items.

The first table was designed and built to be an everyday dining table with two end leaves that could be added to increase the table size.

The second table was designed to be Mr. Chan’s home office desk when not required for a large dinner party. It was built with three large leaves that could be added to the middle to make it a very long but narrow surface. It was crucial that the desk/table be very easy to remove from the pedestal and put back together – to accomplish this, we used very strong, rare earth magnets that would allow the tabletop to remain in place when in use yet be easily removed when two people lifted up on each end.

For an evening of entertaining, the second table would be brought into the dining space and sit next to the other table to form a very large L-shape.

The pedestals on each table were built to accommodate footrests, with chair placement and the ability to tuck chairs in afterwards.

Pieces:

• Two custom-built pedestal tables with footrests
• Custom-built dining room server

Materials:

• White ash
• Medium based hand wiped stain
• Commercial grade polyurethane top coats
• Custom metal pieces with a powder coated finish

Our journey with Ron and Sandy Campbell began with custom dining furniture and finished with spectacular custom bedroom furniture. We are so proud of these wonderful pieces – and we were happy to share this fun journey with two very special people.

Ron and Sandy have a very beautiful but smaller dining room. They wanted custom dining furniture that would maximize space and not sacrifice comfort or style – in particular, they wanted custom furniture with turned Harvest-style legs.

We located a custom-turning company in Ontario and worked closely with them to produce the massive 6” x 6” beautiful hand-turned legs for the table and the hand-turned bun feet for the server. Everyone was more than pleased with the end result!

We designed and built the server to be unusually tall to be perfect storage for all the glassware, dinnerware, table linens and other small and large items on the wish list. With its silver handles, crystal knobs and a beautiful mirror above, this piece of furniture is the anchor of the room.

After completing the dining room pieces, Ron and Sandy contacted TruWood Artisans to create custom bedroom furniture.

Sandy had a picture of an ornate Victorian style armoire that she was dreaming of. It was going to be a challenge – the intricate and arched moulding required pieces that we didn’t have the equipment for.

Both Ron and Sandy weren’t dismayed and told us they knew we could do anything (no pressure!).

After brainstorming internally, we decided we would need to build the jigs for the curved crown moulding ourselves and design a way to create the multi-layered mouldings. We also spent substantial time searching for the detailed appliqués that would decorate the armoire. These pieces had to be just right, so we brought in different appliqués from five different suppliers from across the country.

The next piece was a vanity table with a cheval tilting oval mirror with a finish that Sandy described as “solid off-white with a hint of lime.”

Pieces:

• Ornate Victorian-style armoire with Queen Anne-styled feet
• Vanity table with cheval tilting oval mirror
• Traditional custom dining table
• Oversized custom server in Traditional-styling

Materials:

• Eastern white maple
• Hand-applied medium tone stain on dining table
• Rub through (antiquing)
• Clear top coat finish to protect the colour

“Holly and her team have crafted some amazing tables for our home — everything she has built for us is even more beautiful than we could have imagined!

Holly is a true artisan with great vision and determination and I look forward to seeing ‘what’s next’ from this artist.”

Debbie Jordan
St. Albert, Alberta

The Story

This huge quarter sawn white oak pedestal with a 60” round tabletop was a dream of Debbie Jordan’s. We had previously built similar traditional curved pedestals in the past, however had not created one to this scale.

We established a plan to create a large column in the middle, and then cut and sanded individual solid pieces and fit them together like a puzzle. It took time and patience, and a lot of very detailed sanding! The trim was made by hand and four 36” support arms were added to help hold the weight.

The wood for the 1.25” top is white quarter sawn oak and we were extremely happy with the beautiful grains that were revealed when we ran the boards through the planer for the first time.

This is an impressive statement piece for the heart of the home!

Pieces:

• Traditional curved pedestal table

Materials:

• Quarter sawn white oak
• Medium-toned hand-applied stain
• Commercial grade polyurethane sealer and top coats

The Moritz family approached TruWood Artisans to build a custom dining table that would be a mix of rustic and modern style, and feature a character wood with as many knots as possible. The table needed to seat 6 people but accommodate up to 8-10 people on occasion.

To allow the table size to be expanded, we designed wide “breadboard ends” (grain that runs the opposite way from the top) which would be pulled open on custom runners to allow a 12” leaf to be added onto each end. We also created a small 4” leaf on each end for extra elbow room. This design kept the rustic shaker look of the top, while allowing for functionality as well.

To meet the Moritz’s request of a character wood, we selected a character grade of alder in a 2” thickness that featured amazing knots and markings. Eastern white maple was used for the table aprons and pedestal, which was stained dark to complement the legs and colour of the chairs.

We blended a custom stain for the alder to enhance the natural beauty of the grains, but not match too closely with the existing red cherry cabinets in the kitchen (alder and cherry are very similar in colour and grains). The Mortiz’s also wanted a hint of grey and we were able to accomplish it. Rather than fill the cracks and knots, the Moritz’s wanted the top to be left as natural as possible. Black walnut bowties were inlayed across cracks to keep them from spreading but no resins or fillers were used.

This was a fun piece to build and the Moritz’s were very much hands-on throughout the process. The table that we produced for them is a conversation piece, destined to become a family heirloom.

Materials:

• Eastern white maple
• Alder
• Custom stain

Greg and Gail were in the process of building a new home when they approached TruWood Artisans for a custom dining table and serving table.

The new house would be a mix of traditional and modern style, so we designed a double pedestal table in a traditional style, with the top in poker straight grains of African mahogany to tie in the modern aspects of the home. We sourced stunning mahogany for the project and carefully cut and laid out the panels, taking our time to ensure the best possible appeal to the eye. The table was built with two leaves in the centre and can seat 12.

During the design, we increased the dimensions of the curved portions of the uprights to suit the table and all was cut and sanded by hand. This style of pedestal is always time consuming but very rewarding to see the shapes come together.

For the serving table, we designed a modern set of tapered legs with black walnut accents and created finger-pulls on the drawer fronts for a clean look with no hardware.

For both pieces, we created a darker custom stain that still allows you to admire all of the grains and character of the wood.

Pieces:

• Set of two nesting tables built out of American red cherry with black walnut accent pieces on tapered legs
• One round Cirque-style lamp accent table built out of 1.25” thick American red cherry with curved legs and a single black walnut bowtie inlayed into the top

Materials:

• African mahogany
• American red cherry
• Black walnut
• Custom dark wiping stain
• Commercial grade polyurethane sealer and top coat

The Richards-Anderson family approached TruWood Artisans to create a large gaming table that would double as an everyday dining room table. It needed to be functional and beautiful, and not reveal itself as a gaming table until the top was removed.

We completed the design by phone and by email correspondence.

The piece measures 48” wide x 96” long with a set of 4 tongue and groove leaves that run lengthwise to create the top that is set into the thick finger-jointed framework. For ease of adding or removing the leaves, they are also spring loaded. The frame (table aprons) are 6” wide allowing for a good depth of playing surface once the top is removed.

A sliding and locking rail system was designed to allow for drink holders to be placed anywhere around the table. Once they are placed where you want them, each drink holder locks into place to avoid spills and can be easily removed when not in use. We custom-made four walnut holders with stainless inserts for pop or beer and two walnut wine glass holders.

The bottom of the playing surface is a sheet of fully finished maple plywood, perfect for board games, dice, etc. There is a second insert (not pictured) that is felt covered for card games.

We are pretty sure Mason enjoyed the journey as much as we did. When the day came for him to pick up the table, the look on his face was priceless! He was very happy with all the detail work in the multiple kinds of routering and joinery involved, as well as the strength and stability of the finished piece for their home.

Material:

• Black walnut
• Maple play insert
• Clear commercial grade polyurethane finish