PINCH ME~ I HAVE MY OWN LIVE EDGE TABLE!! | SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR DESIGN | NOVEMBER 25

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

That is me screaming! Recently we, picked up our custom-made, beyond gorgeous 86" x 48" x 2" solid black walnut live edge table.

Getting it into our house was quite a challenge due to its size.  Hubby and 2 men wrestled with this incredibly heavy, probably 200 lb table to get it in our front door. I was navigating and it still almost didn't happen.

It is absolutely HUGE and we love it and still can't believe we have one!!

If you have been following the De-sign of the Times blog for awhile, you will know that I am crazy in loooooove with live edge tables and have been wanting one for quite some time. I just never, ever imagined that we would purchase one due to the exorbitant price $$$$$$$ tags. For the size we wanted, I have been quoted prices ranging anywhere from $7000.00 - 18,000.00 yikes!!!!  

So, while researching suppliers, my husband came across a company in Cambridge, Ontario called Galt Wood Co.  I gave them a call and spoke with the owner and Head Builder, George Hollinger. This guy is incredible! I told him what we were looking for, what size we wanted, that we preferred Walnut and then asked him for a quote while holding my breath. His price was amazing and we ordered our live edge table right there and then.

I asked George, how much was required for a deposit and the method of payment.  He responded, "I don't require a deposit."  Huh?  Just the good old-fashioned business model called TRUST.  Love it!!! 

Here is a quote from their website,

"From massive live edge slabs to 100+ year old barn beams, The Galt Wood Co uses the most unique materials to create gorgeous one of a kind furniture pieces.

We work with you to bring your dream furniture into a reality. We walk you through the process of selecting a wood species, choosing styles, and figuring out dimensions. All our furniture is hand made to your specifications."

And a few samples from their exquisite portfolio of work

We were given a date of 4 weeks for our table to be ready for pick up.  In the meantime, we drove out to Cambridge to deliver the legs that had been on our Duncan Phyfe table.  They would be refinished, stained and attached to our new table.  My personal design style is contemporary but I sometimes like to throw a little old in there for some visual interest.  George, didn't think the style would work as he typically likes to use steel bases on the live edge tables but he thought the Duncan Phyfe legs looked great.

Here is a pic of the legs being installed. A long piece of heavy metal was placed between the legs to support the table. 

In an attempt to reduce our own carbon footprint and to also live a simpler life, we moved into a small home several years ago.  Living in a smaller home means that many of our rooms I have had to design to serve multi-purposes. One being our kitchen/dining room. When I was planning this room, I didn't want it to look too kitcheny,(I know that is not a word, but you know what I mean!!) We don't have a dining room, (many dining rooms are under utilized anyways in my opinion) so I wanted a huge good for everything table that could seat 10-12 at dinner comfortably, could be used as a board table to meet with clients and suppliers, a table where I could lay out fabrics, floor plans, blueprints, mood boards, play cards, use for sewing and making crafts etc.  Well this table fits the bill perfectly and because it is constructed out of walnut which is a very, very hard wood, it is virtually indestructible. Sustainable furniture has fine workmanship and is built to last. We will NEVER have to purchase another table and this will certainly become an heirloom.

To compliment our new table, we built a very long banquette from scratch and framed a large unframed piece of mirror to hang behind the banquette.  This was all part of a Nightmare Design Dilemma which has been driving me nuts for awhile. (Stay tuned for that post). I will also post some DIY projects on how we built our banquette and mirror.

Saturday night we hosted our first dinner party at our new table and banquette.  Everyone was very comfortable and had tons of elbow space. It felt like we were at a restaurant.

Here are a few pics of our table.

We particularly love this side of the table where the very large knot is emphasized and curves out at that point. It adds such visual interest and is quite a conversation starter. This picture also shows how the live edge was finished on an angle and smoothed out.

This shot gives you view of the Duncan Phyfe legs that were added as well as a pic, although not a great pic, of the banquette we built.

If you looking for a Live Edge Table, we would highly recommend Galt Wood Co. I can guarantee, you will not be disappointed.

If you would like to take advantage of a designer discount on your table, please contact Soulier Design Studio in advance and we will refer you as our client.

Love to her what you think of our table!!

Do you have a Live Edge table and pics that you can share?

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability, Eco-Friendly Design, Products and Lifestyle.

Please visit us at 

https://www.soulierdesignstudio.com

LEED CERTIFIED AND LOVELY TOO | ECO FRIENDLY

Hi, I’m Joanna. I write for Design Shuffle, a premier website and blog displaying interior designers' work and plenty of decorating ideas for die-hard design lovers like me. I'm so excited to be here to share a guest post today. As you know, the lovely designer and driving force behind De-sign of the Times is passionate about green design and is working toward her LEED AP Homes (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designation. So, to follow her lead and talk about eco-friendly interiors, today we want to showcase some of the lovely homes with (LEED) Certification and share with you some thoughts on the rooms from a design enthusiast's point of view.

The Hillside House is the first LEED for Homes Platinum certified house in Marin County, California. Of this stunning four level home, Dig Digs says, "Among house’s green features are: low-flow fixtures, efficient LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, whole house automation, solar thermal, solar PV, and many others." What we see in the home's living room is a beautiful and inviting gathering place for family and friends. We can't take our eyes off the gorgeous oversized pendant lights.

Located on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, Washington, the Ellis House earned LEED Platinum Certification. Coates Design says it is "70% more energy efficient than a typical home, which reduces the carbon footprint." The windows and skylights seen here may contribute to that energy efficiency, but we love the contemporary good looks of the open space. Wouldn't it be the perfect space to read, relax and enjoy the view?

The architects of Southern Living magazine's first sustainable Showcase Home tell us it was built to LEED certification standards and "is a model of environmentally responsible design, building techniques and materials, and energy-saving systems." We love the dark floor in this simply appointed dining room. It's an earth-friendly sustainable wood-- beautiful bamboo.

The Chicago Tribune says that this home in the suburbs of Chicago gained the LEED platinum status. The homeowners and their architect carefully balanced costs and needs including ADA adaptability for the future. We think this calm and soothing bedroom design is as lovely as it eco-friendly. The space definitely carries its greenness with style and great good looks.

Seattle Homes & Lifestyles (http://coatesdesign.doreydevelopment.com/sites/default/files/press/Seattle%20Homes%20Summer.pdf) chose the Bainbridge house bathroom as its 2010 Bath of the Year. One of the features mentioned in their magazine article about this sleek bath is that the radiant-heated floor, powered by a whole-house geothermal heating system, is colored by a rich soy stain. Our favorite element in the room is the lighting, bright yellow Mid-Century pendant lights. What an inviting and relaxing space.

From At Home in Arkansas magazine comes a story about a couple who tackled a LEED Certified complete remodel of a 1968 home. From the array of photos of the homes interior featured in the magazine article, this stunning dining area immediately caught our attention. Among the many eco-friendly elements seen here, is a tabletop created from reclaimed barnwood. The metal chairs and the custom banquette are our favorite pieces.

From Kitchen Details and Design we learned that "Ceasarstone comes in 40 Colors with 6 being recycled (quartz reflection is awesome and contains up to 35% post consumer recycled glass!)" The gorgeous color called "Apple Martini" was used for the countertop and backsplash in the sleek kitchen of this (project7ten) LEED Platinum Home.

Kathleen of Ambiance & Armoires tells us, "Low VOC paint, efficient hydronic radiant floor heating, low flow plumbing, and high efficacy lighting are just some of the elements that make these residences so incredible." What we see is a comfortable inviting space--brilliant contemporary color combined with the rich organic look of natural materials. Our take away from today's short but stunning tour of homes is most definitely the realization that LEED certified designers do not have to sacrifice beauty for earth-friendly living spaces. All eight rooms are filled with inspiring interior design ideas.  Images: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 Which of these was your favorite LEED design? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to check out various other inspiration on Design Shuffle's design gallery!

Soulier Design Studio specializes in Sustainability and Eco Friendly Design and Products http:// www.soulierdesignstudio.com