Platte River Conference Table
Collector’s Specialty Woods hand crafted the Platte River conference table from four consecutive cut black walnut slabs. The slabs were butterfly matched and inverted. The live edge creates the banks of a natural river feature running down the full 26’ length of the table. The matched slabs come together with mirrored continuous grain along the river’s edge and the outside edges have been squared revealing figured end grain. Inlaid brass chopstick details catch and reflect the light of the room.
The black walnut tree for this project was custom sourced by CS Woods through an Amish sawmill in Michigan whom we have worked with for 30 years. The slabs were cut to CS Woods specifications and Rocky Mountain kiln dried at our facility in Southern Colorado. Workplace Elements lead, Nick Wilson, supplied the initial inspirational sketch and hand selected the wood at CS Woods’ open Denver warehouse. Kent Mace, CS Woods owner and lead designer, worked with his head of sales, Lucas Hinrichs, to design the table. Master woodworkers from the Mace family handcrafted the table in their woodshop in Southern Colorado.
The weight and size of the slabs and the resulting tabletop required forward thinking and logistical precision in fabrication and installation. Finished final dimensions of the table are 26’ long and 60” wide. It weighs just under 1000 lbs. The table was created in two pieces with an almost invisible join running across the center. The third story conference room installation was done via crane. The two 13’ foot pieces were flown through an open balcony and then assembled onsite.
The use of live edge wood brings warmth to the formal conference room. It encourages creative and collaborative work. Wood surfaces in the workspace are reminders to be conscious of the needs of the entire natural world and the future global impacts in decision making. The use of carbon sequestering trees, carefully sourced at the end of their lives, helps elevate the protection and appreciation of all trees and forests.