At Laura U Design Collective, we often work with craftspeople to produce stunning pieces of bespoke furniture. Alongside custom oversize sectionals and reupholstered vintage chairs, one of our favorite pieces to design is the live edge dining table, which starts with a single slab of wood. Whether poplar, walnut, or maple, no two wood slabs look alike and a beautifully crafted straight cut piece is just as stunning as a curved live edge dining table. The uniqueness and irregularity of that original piece of wood is the entire point.
What better place for a conversation piece than the dining table around which your guests gather? Read on for everything you need to know about selecting a live edge dining table for your space, including insights into a commission for our Braeswood Place clients.
How Live Edge Tables Are Made
A live-edge top starts as a thick slab milled from a single log, with the natural edge left intact. Many makers remove bark, plane the faces, and keep the undulating outline of the tree as the table’s “wow factor,” so to speak. As pictured above, bookmatched versions use two adjacent slabs opened like a book to mirror their grain.
Addressing Drying and Movement
Before any joinery, the slab has to be properly dried to furniture moisture levels so it won’t cup or split indoors under daily use in typical conditions. Wood gains and loses moisture with its environment; getting it to a stable moisture content (via air- or kiln-drying) is what keeps a dining top flat over seasons.
Stabilizing Cracks
Checks and voids are common in wide slabs. Instead of discarding them, craftsmen reinforce cracks with bowtie keys (those butterfly-shaped inlays you’ve probably seen in a bespoke piece of wooden furniture). Fills may be used when a void needs to be leveled for a wipeable surface that won’t catch fabric or paper towels. Structural integrity is key to longevity.
Keeping Tops Flat and Functional
Steel C-channels are often recessed into the underside of wide slabs. These allow the wood to expand and contract naturally while preventing major cupping. Some argue they’re not always necessary, but for extra-wide or live-edge pieces, they improve a table’s longevity without altering the design.
Selecting Finishes That Work at the Table
After flattening and sanding, makers choose the finish. Hardwax oil creates a natural, matte look that’s easy to repair. Film finishes build more protection and resist staining. There are an array of options; the right choice depends on how you live.
Installing Hardware and Legs
The final step before installation is often attaching the base, which you see handlers doing in our Braeswood Place dining room above. Bases can shift the table’s style dramatically: a chunky wood trestle feels timeless and rustic, while sleek metal elevates it to sculpture.
For our Braeswood Place project, the table was paired with custom brass legs (pictured above). The warm metallic finish plays beautifully against the natural wood grain of this live edge dining table without distracting from the slab.
Why Live Edge Tables Belong in Modern Interiors
Modern interiors often straddle a fine line. Too much glass and steel can feel sterile; too much wood can feel heavy or dated. Live edge tables strike the balance beautifully. Their horizontal silhouettes are clean and minimal, but their irregular edges soften the geometry of a sharp modern or contemporary interior.
No two slabs are alike, which means no live edge table feels cookie-cutter. They are the perfect companion for modern lighting, streamlined chairs, and open-plan living. They’re functional yet truly unique, which is exactly why we specified a custom live edge piece in our Braeswood Place project.
Case Study: Braeswood Place
Our Braeswood Place project in Houston is a perfect case study for why live edge tables work so well in modern dining rooms. Designed in collaboration with studioMET architects, this home balances two very different aesthetics: his preference for monochromatic modernism and her love of color, pattern, and Southwestern influence. Our designers carefully crafted a mid-century–inspired home with a fresh, poppy sensibility that’s warm, functional, and built for entertaining.
Entertaining at Scale
No dining table can accommodate guests quite like one that runs the length of a massive tree trunk. One of the Braeswood Place family’s biggest goals was to create a house where their six children, extended family, and friends would always feel welcome.
They also needed space for larger events, from school fundraisers to professional gatherings. To meet those needs, we created an open plan that flows between the kitchen, dining, and outdoor spaces. At its center is a custom live edge dining table, which we paired with a waterfall-edge kitchen island. Together, they comfortably seat up to twenty guests.
A Table with Character
Of course, the dining room’s defining feature is an El Dorado Wood live-edge slab, which was mounted on a brass base by ModShop. Its irregular profile adds movement to the room, contrasting beautifully with the modern lines of the architecture.
Around it, we placed custom rift-sawn oak chairs upholstered in tufted performance leather for durability in this high-traffic area of the home. These selections make the space both sophisticated and approachable: the dining room works for everyday family meals as much as it does for large-scale entertaining.
Crafting the Perfect Live Edge Dining Table for Your Home with LUDC
Commissioning a live edge table is so much more than picking a beautiful slab of wood. The species of wood matters, but so does the base. Finish determines how the piece wears over time, and dimensions must match the scale of your dining room.
At Laura U Design Collective, we’re deeply familiar with commissioning custom furniture and collaborating with skilled makers to bring these pieces to life. Whether it’s sourcing the perfect slab, refining the base design, or ensuring the finish suits your family’s daily routine, we guide clients through every decision. Alongside our craftsman partners, we craft bespoke pieces that are uniquely yours. They are functional beautiful, and an ideal backdrop for decades of meals, conversations, and memories.
Contact our team to learn more about the custom furnishings process.
