Outdoor dining table

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The first step in the project was to understand what the customer had in mind - overall size and dimensions. How many people were they wanting to seat around the table? Did they have chairs already picked out, and would they fit at the table? 

Deciding to have a custom piece of furniture built can feel intimidating. So I learn as much as possible from what the customer has in mind, including reviewing any pieces that they like that can help serve as inspiration for the design.  Then I take all of that information and mock up the project in a software program. This allows me to help the customer visualize what the finished project will look like. 

This is the perfect opportunity to collaborate with the customer and make any changes before we begin the work. Do we want to change the dimensions? Add a taper to the legs? Modify the profile of the apron? Once the customer approves, then I move into the build. 

In my conversations with the customer, I knew I wanted to recommend a wood species that would be durable to withstand New England weather. I ultimately recommended Iroko - it has many similar properties to Teak, but is a more affordable option. 

All woods have variations in how the color of the wood appear - the tightness of the grain, where from the tree the lumber comes, etc. This is an important factor when choosing a finish. How a finish appears can have variation within a piece, given the nature of wood. 

So, I selected a finish that would be low maintenance for the customer and would be easy to refinish in the future, if needed - but I still needed to determine what tint to use.  So, I created a sample board to display the spectrum of finish options. I selected pieces of the Iroko that represented the light to dark spectrum of the wood, and sampled 8 options. 

Colors will represent differently based on how light hits it, too - so I sent the customer images of the sample board taken with interior light, outdoor direct sun, and outdoor indirect sun. 

The customer had approved the design, the material, and the desired finish. Last came the build and delivery. Navigating the narrow streets of Boston was a bit tricky, but I got it delivered no problem, and customer could not have been more happy with the finished project.