Croft House began in a garage with one simple design - our Railcar Dining Table. The first of our tables, constructed with reclaimed wood and about as straightforward as we could make it. We wanted the salvaged lumber to be the star, but didn't want to create an excessively rustic piece. So we took two pieces of steel and bent them into a U for the table legs. The base wobbled a little when we pushed it so we added an X, and just like that the Railcar Dining Table was born.
Dozens and dozens of tables later, we decided it was time to evolve the design. We wanted to take similar aspects of the table and create a more modern, less rustic alternative. Which is how the Arden Table was conceived of.
We wanted to approach the base concept from the original table from a new perspective, as well as improve upon some of the common drawbacks to the original design.
Creating a smoother table was our first goal, and to achieve this we decided to work with a Planed Oak. The issue with planing the rough texture out of a wood, is that it takes away some of our favorite characteristics that add such beauty to the table, a total catch-22. So, we added another sort of character to the table with our custom Arden Grey Stain to the top, as well as adding a few specialized details.
We decided to add a point of interest by separating the two center boards, similar to all the boards on an outdoor piece. Large enough to notice but small enough not to be a hinderance. The only drawback here was how to keep the top as joined in this design, since there is no apron around the base of the table. We settled on routing in a small piece of industrial steel to act as an oversized and visible biscuit. It came out better than we even imagined!
After we moved on the top, we took on the task of updating our classic U-Shaped Railcar Legs. As I mentioned above, the steel X was a functional addition after the prototype was constructed. To avoid that with the new design, we used a tapered steel tube as the uprights. The steel tube has more rigidity than the solid, and therefore helps to alleviate the shake. For good measure, we placed the legs at an angle and finished them with a beautiful matte black coat.
And there we have it! Our newest piece - The Arden Dining Table! Come check it out in person at 326 N. La Brea Ave. LA CA 90036 or on here on website! As always, customization is welcome!