When customer Halen posted her coffee table project to CustomMade, she knew what was important to her. It wasn’t the specific design of the table as much as it was finding the perfect piece of wood – a live edge piece of Tiger Maple Wood, to be exact. She was drawn in by the natural “stripes” of the wood, which are created naturally during the growth of the tree. (The fibers of the wood become distorted, which produces unique wavy lines perpendicular to the grain known as “flames.”) Usually this type of wood is used to build musical instruments like guitars, but Halen loves the style so much that she wanted to have a entire coffee table.
Zac DiVine of Zac DiVine Carpentry responded to Halen’s request with a bit more information regarding the wood. Halen had initially requested one complete slab, but Zac had a better idea: to best showcase those “stripes” to which Halen was so drawn, he recommended to find a few beautiful slabs of Tiger Maple, then glue and flatten them together so they will have the appearance of one. Halen went with Zac’s recommendation and trusted Zac to take the reigns through the rest of the process. He incorporated the elements that were important to her (the Tiger Maple and the live edge) but he was also able to be the designer as well as the craftsman. Zac’s take of the experience: “It pushed my creative limits and expanded my arsenal of skills.”
Seeing a maker and customer relationship like Zac and Halen’s blossom just bring big ol’ similes to our faces! Just as Zac was thrilled to work with Halen, she was floored by the beauty of the final piece. Through their collaborative efforts, they created a coffee table that was totally one of a kind. Scroll right to see images of this amazing process!
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