At Baldwin Hardwoods, we love bringing our clients’ visions to life—especially when it involves working with one of our most unique slabs. Our project with the Chamberlain family was one of those “wow” builds: a large, round dining table crafted from Siberian Elm. This piece not only showcases the natural beauty of the wood, but also highlights the level of craftsmanship we bring to every project.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together.
Choosing the Right Slab
The Chamberlains visited our shop with a clear vision: they wanted a round table that felt warm, natural, and truly one-of-a-kind. After browsing through our live edge slab inventory, they fell in love with a stunning slab of Siberian Elm.
While Siberian Elm is one of our most poplar local species of wood we work with, we don’t usually have rounds to pick from. This is mostly due to the drying process – those round pieces tend to crack and split while in the kiln. When they do come through our doors, it always turns heads. It has an eye-catching, swirling grain pattern and a warm brown hue that make it perfect for a statement piece.
Shaping the Round
Turning a large live edge slab into an organically-shaped tabletop takes precision—and some serious shop time. Our first step was to plane the slab down (which started at a whopping 4.5″ thick). We then removed the bark from the edges and cracks while preserving as much of the natural character of the wood as possible.
We worked closely with the Chamberlains to ensure that a piece of this size would fit their dining space. The result? A tabletop with enough room for everyone, without overpowering the room.
Sanding & Finishing
Once the shape was set, we moved into the detail work: sanding the surface smooth while keeping the organic feel of the wood intact. Siberian Elm has a lot of variation in density, so sanding takes a careful touch to avoid overworking any one area.
We sealed the piece with General Finishes Satin Arm-R-Seal that brings out the depth and movement in the grain. This finish also provides great durability, especially important for a high-use piece like a dining table.
The Final Touches
To complete the table, we mounted a custom “Spider” steel base designed to balance the rustic look of the Elm with a clean, modern touch. When designing custom bases, we always make sure that everyone will be able to have a seat without kicking any ankles. The base was powder-coated in matte black, offering stability without taking attention away from the star of the show: that incredible slab top.
A Piece to Last Generations
The final result is a table that the Chamberlains can gather around for decades to come. It’s functional, beautiful, and truly theirs—no one else has a table quite like it.
