Brendan West, Cantilevered Table - Brendan West (Furniture)

Two years ago, the clients and I first obtained this urban felled yellow box slab. I wanted to design a table that would be true to the features of the slab and be practical in the small dining room space. The clients, a glass artist and a landscaper, were drawn to a glass river table. I designed a range of tables but with their persuasion I leant into the glass river design and enjoyed the process of following the natural edge to shape the form. The leg is spotted gum and the top has threaded inserts so we could get it into the house, as well as allow for wood movement and alignment. The glass was water jet cut to a template that was made to follow the grain and lean into the waterfall effect. In the design I wanted to further develop the standard river table brief. First, to place it in Australia where the timbers are native and the rivers are never blue. I cantilevered the top to give the heavy slab a lightness. I felt the legs needed to be strong but not stagnant and a colour that would not compete with the top. The space is a niche, so a single leg would allow for flexible seating and could move from two to seven people comfortably. The waterfall end proved to a technical challenge. I’m pleased with how the leg pierces the waterfall yet remains in its own space. I positioned the crouch of the slab to create a natural forming cave for the waterfall to cascade down. The table can fully break down into its core components so it could fit into the house and the glass can be lifted out for cleaning. The overall dimensions are 1750 x 900 x 750mm.

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