Joseph Challita, Elegance Dining Table (STUDENT 2022)

Student:

Secondary

Name of school or tertiary institution, and name of woodworking teacher (if you have one):

St Patrick's College Strathfield

Video tour:

https://youtu.be/ig5VoVvvvRE

I have constructed an 8-seater dining table taking inspiration from both French Provincial and Gothic styles. The main focal points of the table include the parquetry center squares of alternating grain pattern, Fleur De Lis inlays on the legs of the table, dramatic and overly pronounced leg shaping, and a finish with well-defined angular edge treatments. All these features aid in the portrayal and effectiveness of the French provincial and Gothic aesthetic. I chose to incorporate the Fleur de Lis in my project as it is a decorative French symbol portraying the belief in the holy trinity and the love and care of family. I constructed the table from solid American oak and American walnut timber. I employed a vast variety of timber joinery techniques that have been executed to the upmost quality; such as dovetail joints, timber shaping, template routing, inlay, domino joints, tongue and groove joints, mitre joints, laminating, stopped housing joints, and various edge treatments such as chamfer, quarter round and cove treatments. I have chosen to apply polyurethane varnish to the finished product to bring out the timber's alternating grain pattern, texture, and colour. The finished product has great appeal to both traditional and modern furniture lovers as it encapsulates the traditional shape of a dining table with some decorative modern features such as the inlays and cove routed side rails. More recently the provincial and gothic style furniture has experienced a resurgence in line with a growth in the popularity of French provincial architecture, hence my inspiration for this dining table design.

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