Since we specialize in custom made farm tables from reclaimed wood, I help customers every day design and configure their table to match fit in their dream house and kitchen. Now there are a lot of options, styles, and features available when making a table. There is the time-tested classic or traditional style, the new and trendy shabby-chic, contemporary, rustic, reclaimed, and many more. The builds can be very different as well; rectangular, round, oval, trestle, x-framed, turned legs, straight legs, tapered legs, or even steel legs for the more industrial table. As far as features you can have company boards, beveled edges, soft edges, long or short apron, and even. As you can see making a table can be very overwhelming with options. So with this in mind, a lot of people ask me for my professional opinion as to what I recommend for them and what would fit best in their kitchen and/or dining area.

Tip #1 – I find that there are two ways to go about designing the area: one is from the outside in and the other is from the inside out. This means either fitting the table into it’s surroundings, or more apt for people moving into a new home or renovating one is to allow the table to be the centerpiece and command attention. Either you have your kitchen/dining area finished and are looking for the perfect table, or you want the warmest most inviting table imaginable and the area around it outfitted with complimenting decor. The table is the more important piece of furniture in your home; its where we eat, talk, laugh, work, play, and gather. Make it count!

Tip #2 – Key concept: ‘compliment’ vs. ‘match’. The days of matching the floor exactly to the cabinets, or the refrigerator color to the tile color are becoming almost tabu. We can never get it perfect, so why try to make it look like we tried. Allow colors and tones to compliment one another; shades working well together. Think shades of browns, shades of grey, and shades of white. Not only more natural but also easier to achieve. The table top does not have to be the exact same color as the legs or base. Real woods have grain, and each grain cut can take stains differently. A reclaimed oak top often looks better on new oak legs. An ‘all” reclaimed table sometimes looks too rustic. New oak base allows for cleaner lines and more consistent staining and coloring. A different base also allows the base to pop up and be more impressive. Nurture and encourage this contrast.

– Tip #3 – Keep it simple! Classic colors such as chestnut brown, espresso brown, black and natural never go out of style. A lot of people love the energy and feel of the shabby-chic reds, blues, greens, and turquoise but I am fearful that one might get sick of looking at it in 3-5 years. The woods we use are of very high standards and quality. They look beautiful in there natural state. Show off the grain when possible. Wood is timeless…less is more.

Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to run a few ideas by me. I am happy to help in whatever capacity I can.

Cheers, Dan from Saltwoods.com

For the story of our reclaimed wood, we need to go back in time, in two steps.  Before your hand-crafted table enters your home, it’s had a very long history.

We salvage the wood from abandoned barns, mills and factories of New England (and occasionally elsewhere; each table is individually built by a craftsman and branded with the exact coordinates of its salvage).

Most of these old New England structures were built between the 1700s and the 1920s.  Many of them were built by early generations of citizens of our new country; maybe some by the earliest.  Historically-relevant buildings are justly protected as national treasures.  Sadly, many of these New England barns did not hold up well enough to be preserved.  However, the wood they were built with remained undamaged.  In a way, they have a second life as your custom-designed table.

Of course, the history of the wood used in our tables goes back even further.  The barns and other structures they were salvaged from were built using trees from old New England’s pristine, largely undisturbed forests, in the days before industrialization, pollution and deforestation.  So-called “old-growth forests” are quite different from new-growth.  Trees from old-growth forests are large; the wood is stronger and harder than more recent growths.

These days, old-growth forests are being preserved when possible, but at the time these rural New England barns and mills were built, there was no shortage of trees.  These trees were harvested long ago.  In fact, both the age of the trees at the time of harvest, and their years of use, give them a character and quality that is unmatched by typical modern wood-mill wood.

Our reclaimed wood has variations in color, ring pattern and size.  While mass-production manufacturers cut away knots, holes and other “imperfections,” we prize these as the wood’s own unique beauty.  That’s what makes our tables so striking – their ancient wood and past lives.  These variations are the spice and allure that makes our tables so much more satisfying than the typical generic furniture-store product.

Why use reclaimed wood?

These trees, which remained undisturbed for centuries, were tall and strong.  They grew in a time without pollutants to weaken their structure, in clean, clear air, under an unveiled sun.  Their wood is denser, stronger and more imperious to rot.  Moreover, reclaimed wood means recycled, re-used natural resources, a very environmentally-friendly approach.  And most importantly, reclaimed wood has unique features that stem from its age.

Under the expert hands of our craftsmen, the wood reveals its charm and radiance.  As you live with your table, you can feel a connection to the primeval woodland that grew it.  We’re proud that our tables serve as a central hub for dinners, gatherings of friends and family, and quiet evenings.  Reclaimed wood combined with the care of hand-craftsmanship produces not just a table but a functional, unique piece of art and history that will warm your home for many, many years to come.

The Saltwoods workshop has about 10-12 employees that help build each table. We truly love what we do and would even build these tables for free if we could. But unfortunately, we each have families at home and bills to pay so we have to cover our bases.
Each table is calculated individually at Saltwoods, to best reflect each variable in material, construction, and labor. Our pricing structure allows customers to mix and match styles and materials to configure their ideal table.

On average, the tables run between $1200 – $4000. Variations such as wood types, and legs vs. pedestals can cause the largest fluctuation. Some customers tell us their price range and we guide them in the direction of styles and options that fall into that area. To give you a better idea of what to variables create large price changes, here are some extremes to look out for:

hardwood vs. softwood – (walnut vs. pine)     + 10-20%
reclaimed wood vs. standard lumber         + 30-40%
straight legs vs. pedestal(s)                        + $400 – $600
straight legs vs. trestle base >                 + $400 – $800
our stain vs. custom (your) stain >                 + 15%

The cost of labor is often the largest part of your table. Although we do use machines to aid in our construction, each table is handcrafted by a woodworker who walks the table through each step with loving care.

Hope this helps explain a bit more about our pricing structure and variables.

Our reclaimed wood tables begin as beams and joists salvaged from barns, warehouses, and other buildings throughout the east coast. These structures are carefully disassembled maintain the very best condition of the building materials. Normally sent to landfills, this wood and material is now saved and restored for decades of further use.

Saltwoods is very selective about what wood is used for our tables. Only the best quality beams and joist are hand selected. Our reclaimed wood is made from American ‘old growth’ wood, meaning that it is from forests growing in the 1700s. Thus the wood grain is much denser, stronger, and longer lasting than anything from your local lumber dealer.

Once the beams have been sorted, they are carefully scanned with metal detectors and denailed on location. Special tools and grips are used to leave the wood as unharmed as possible while taking out the nails; not an easy task with brittle antique iron. After the nails have been removed, the wood is then milled to rough cut boards approximately 2 to 2.5” inches thick. The scraps are sorted out and the solid boards are stacked with sticks between each board to allow for optimum air movement and drying. The carefully stacked boards are then put into the kiln to dry with warm air and create a stable moisture content in the wood. The boards spend about 2 weeks in the kiln with warm air in constant circulation.

Reclaimed Wood beams de-nailed and trimmed.

From the kiln, the wood heads into the shop. It is then sent through the ‘joiner’ which gives it two straight flat edges. From here it goes to the planer where the top and bottom surfaces are shaved to give all the boards a standard thickness. Now our wood boards are the approximate thickness we need for a table top. The boards are laid out to give us our first visualization of what we want the top to look like. The most beautiful grains are arranged properly to give us the best looking table.

After measurements are taken, we the put wood glue on the edges are clamp the entire top together. The top will remain clamped up overnight. At this time, legs are also cut to size and glued up.

Reclaimed wood tabletop ready being set

Our skirt wood, or base, is selected and cut to proper size according to the tops dimensions. A rough assembly is made with the top and base/skirt to make proper cuts and adjustments. Once the rough assembly is all set, the table is taken apart for final sanding and finishing.

Base assembly before finishing

Sanding and finishing are the most important; extra time and patience is crucial to a quality build. We have 3 craftsmen per table sanding in three stages; 100 grit, 150 grit, and finally 220 grit. This is where all of the woods beauty truly comes out. And you really see the difference in the finish.

Reclaimed wood table ready for sanding

The final result!