When Heidi decided to order a very special customized table, it began a long process for our table maker. She wanted to have three different wood types make up the surface of her new table: walnut, cherry, and cedar. The walnut and cherry were no problem for our craftsman, because those trees grow locally and have long been tended to by the craftsman and his neighbors. It was the cedar that would be difficult to procure.
The craftsman decided to contact a lumberman in Wisconsin, whom he had used as a supplier in the past. The cedar needed to be very thick, in order to match the walnut and cherry from the local farmer’s woodlots. His Wisconsin friend just didn’t have anything that large. So, the craftsman had to scout around the country to find cedar that was grown to our standards and thick enough for this very custom table. After much searching, the craftsman was able to locate the perfect wood. But…it was in southern Ohio. For a table maker who is not Amish, that wouldn’t be a problem. Our craftsman is Amish, however, and so he doesn’t drive. What to do?
Luckily, the craftsman was able to get a ride from Dan Miller, our Erik Organic driver who travels the country unloading finished pieces of furniture to many happy customers. They made the stop in Ohio, and the craftsman was able to personally inspect the cedar wood. It satisfied his needs, so they loaded it aboard Dan’s truck and took it back to the table maker’s shop at home in the Midwest. He happily set to work.
To make this intricate table possible, the craftsman had to build a special frame to hold the wood pieces together. He then selected each wood piece individually for type and size, marked its location, glued it to the next piece, and clamped it into place. This proved to be a challenging task, but once completed, the table top was set aside to cure while the legs and rest of the table were constructed. The entire table was then put together, finely sanded, and the clear finish gently applied. With loving care, Heidi’s idea for a table was brought to life by our craftsman, with acute attention to detail and built to last. Dan loaded up the finished table and drove it to Heidi’s house where it was greeted with smiles of pride and delight.
And so came to be the new Pennsylvania Mixed Wood Table. Conceptualized by a customer and brought to life by one of our craftsmen, this design is a true testament to the custom-made talents of our craftsman furniture makers. Our new Pennsylvania mixed wood kitchen table is a gorgeous patchwork design. Made of cherry, walnut, and cedar woods, this beautiful shaker style table is extremely appealing to the eye. The table top is a pieced work, combining all three of the solid hardwoods, while the table legs are made of solid cedar. It features a rectangular shaped table top, square corners, and slightly curved feet. The Pennsylvania mixed wood kitchen table is a simple design, yet the mixed woods make it a beautiful sight to behold.
The Pennsylvania mixed wood table pictured in this article has a natural finish, is 42″L x 32″W x 30″H, and has the addition of an 18” table leaf (not pictured). As with all of our kitchen tables, the Pennsylvania mixed wood table can be custom-made to your size and style preferences and has a 1.5” thick table top.
