Table Envy

From Pinterest.

Maybe it’s because of our Thanksgiving festivities, or maybe it’s that we have entertaining on our minds … but some of us are obsessed with long, rustic dining tables. We love the kind that could be happy indoors or out, the kind that have lived long interesting lives, hosted numerous fabulous feasts and witnessed years of captivating conversations. Our clients must share this same obsession, because our extra long, extra crunchy tables are always the first to go when we bring in a container of antiques from Europe.

So what is it about these long, sexy, crunchy, aged-to-perfection tables that we love?

We love the combination of formal chairs and rustic table in this image via Pinterest.

Or the simplicity of this long and narrow table, which could be used for dining or a console. From Cote Sud via Pinterest.

Here we’re enamored with the marriage of modern chairs with rustic table, via Pinterest.

And here we’ll just take the whole vignette! From Architectural Digest via Pinterest.

 

This may be taking “Long Table” to new lengths, but how fun would it be to attend this wine tasting at the Joseph Phelps vineard in Napa Valley? Image via Pinterest.

My personal favorite is this gorgeous image of an outdoor table that is so inviting, through this fabulous glass “orangerie.” From Pinterest.

We see that wonderful mix again, of sleek and modern with crusty and old. Image via Pinterest.

And how inviting is this table, with that lush, dark wood and the contrasting pretty, white roses? From Pinterest.

We love the idea of mixing and matching chairs, and these old tables embrace that look beautifully. From Pinterest.

There’s that wonderful mix and match look again, dressed up with fabulous, formal chandeliers! From Pinterest.

Long tables work well with long benches too, as on this delightful sun porch. Image via Pinterest.

Finding the perfect table is not easy and there aren’t a lot of the authentic old ones, so we try to grab them when we can.  What do we look for?  First off, a beautiful wooden surface that has been aged to perfection.  We also like nice lines and a good proportion between the legs and the top.  As Americans, we tend to be bigger – and a lot of these tables were built for smaller people, so we always have to be careful about the height of the apron that supports the table.  And of course, if it’s going to travel by boat from France to Savannah, it’s got to be sturdy enough to withstand the stormy seas!

Here are a couple of tables that have rocked our boat on recent trips:

 A massive, and beautiful long table that could easily accommodate 18 people!

 

An elegant aged, oak table, originally from Belgium.

 

 This table was rebuilt to perfection, using old floorboards as the top, and old joists for the support.

A large table “drapier” from France, originally used to fold and cut fabrics in the 19th century.

A long and narrow 19th century pine table, elegant in its simplicity.

Will any of these beauties be coming home to us soon?  Maybe!  And you’ll be the first to know as soon as our container arrives.

In the meantime, we wish you and yours a warm and wonderful gathering around your family table during this holiday season.  Because ultimately we know  that whether it’s big or small, square or round, edgy or crusty, old or new, it’s not about the table … but the people gathered around it!

 From Pinterest.

Ta ta,

HH