Rustic Larch Terrace Table

This Alpine-style weather-proof terrace table was made from larch planks that had been stored outside and acquired a rustic, weathered look.

From grandfather to grandson. These larch planks had been waiting for the right moment, piled outside, until their new owner got the idea to have them made into a terrace table. So we got full artistic freedom to create a design that brings out the unique beauty of the weathered wood material – the only wish from the customer’s side was that the table would be sturdy, massive even, and have a touch of Alpine feel to it.

Working on these 10-centimeter thick, 40-centimeter wide planks was truly a pleasure. Originally the larch trees had grown on the grandfather’s property and he had them sawn into planks roughly 20 years ago. Since then they had been stored outside, all year round, in the hottest summers and coldest winters – only acquiring a very unique, natural patina.

The thick material made it possible to design a massive leg structure where we added a little bit of extra. Normally, the tabletop rests on top of the legs, but in this case we sawed openings on the top planks and attached the legs in them. That creates a pretty cool illusion as it looks like the leg consists only of a thin layer of wood as the leg joints are mitered. We have seen something like this made from metal but not from wood – have you?

The only makeup the planks needed was a quick and gentle touch of a brush sander, after which we treated them with tung oil. This specific oil absorbs really well, makes the wood water repellent, prevents rot and protects it from UV radiation. Tung oil also prevents the larch from turning grey longer than other oils. The forged bolts add the finishing touch to the rugged look.

And when we delivered the table to the customer, we probably got the best possible feedback you can get on a terrace table – as the customer said they would love to take it inside the house if only they had the space. However, thanks to the natural weather resistant properties of larch and the oil treatment, the terrace table will endure many summers and winters to come – serving also the following generations 🙂

Design: Miikka Kotilainen | Puuartisti
Woodwork: Puuartisti
Metalwork: Sami Hyvärinen | Pesälän Paja
Photos: Kasper Garam | Tovari Marketing