Top tables: make life better
A table is a key piece of furniture needed for a civilised life ...along with a bed and a chair. There's no shortage of good design in eco-friendly materials, but here are a few we particularly like across the price spectrum
The Branch table (see above) from US brand Blu Dot has a slightly textured wirebrushed or limed solid oak top and tubular steel legs, so it's eminently recyclable. It is a fabulous table, according to editor Abby Trow, a proud owner, because 'it has a style but simplicity, it's substantial but looks unobtrusive, and it's only 84 cm wide so is perfect for a narrow kitchen. It's just great, we love it. But boy, does the wood top weigh a ton!' she says. Branch table from £1,395. Find Blu Dot in the UK at Heal's. For modern UK-made wood tables, see Lozi and Rough LIving
Tables can seem dauntingly expensive, especially if you want a large one made from solid wood. Whether the wood is reclaimed or not, a good table won't be cheap because wood is costly to produce and a lot of work goes into refining it. So don't think 'oh it's just four legs with a plank on top.'
Better perhaps to save up and then bask in the knowledge that the fine table you invest in is probably going to be the only one you never need to buy.
Precision engineering
For modern tables with a sleek elegance and impressively discreet extension mechanisms, a brand to look out for is German maker Venjakob, which prides itself on its eco production. The ET355 table is a particularly fine piece, prices from £3,000 and definitely one to save up for if you like contemporary design. It comes in a variety of sizes, has a steel base plate and comes in solid woods or wood veneers. Vale Furnishers in Surrey are stockists as is the Stirling Furniture Company, based in Glasgow.
Classics
Obviously antiques shops are a great place to look for dining tables if you want a traditional polished dark wood piece. For mid-century modern design, see Ercol or G-Plan. Ercol's Plank table, made in the UK from sustainably sourced beech and elm, was designed in the 1950s and is a timeless piece that comfortably seats six. It can look highly contemporary depending on the finish, such as the black stained version, which is available at Heal's or Pink Apple. Prices from £885. (Plank is W152xD76xH72cms).
Howe in London's Pimlico is run by antiques dealer, furniture restorer and maker Christopher Howe, and he offers an excellent selection of solid wood tables, which are based on late Victorian up to mid-20th century designs. HOWE® is Christopher’s range of bespoke furniture and lighting handmade in England. Each piece is carved and polished using traditional cabinet-making methods. Products are made to order and customers can specify the dimensions, woods and finishes they want.
Reclaimed wood
Reclaimed wooden tables make use of wood that would otherwise have gone to waste, and that wood is sourced in the UK/EU and from Asia, where a lot of wood comes from disused boats.
Raft is a highly environmentally-aware furniture brand that uses FSC-certified reclaimed teak from Indonesia and its products are combine rusticity with contemporary design.
For a more rustic, country kitchen look Modish Living, Eat Sleep Live, and Oka offer high quality reclaimed wooden tables. Modish Living's splendid Amalfi oak industrial style table is an attractive piece that combines wood with a metal frame.
Contemporary and colourful
UK designers Steuart Padwick and Jennifer Newman both offer brightly coloured, modern, eco-friendly dining tables. Padwick's Double Cross table comes with vibrant coloured legs, while Newman's new aluminium Edge table and bench range can be powder coated in many colours, including a jolly teal blue.
The Double Cross table is a good product if you don't have much space, because when not in use as a dining table, it folds over to become a console table, taking up half the space. It's made in Latvia, and has painted plywod legs, while the table top is made from FSC-certified chipboard topped with an oak veneer.
