Astor Live Edge Dining Table
An eleven foot live edge dining table in dramatically figured Oregon black walnut, carried on two pedestals cut and sculpted into a traditional baluster form. The most figured wood we build with, on a base drawn from centuries of furniture making. Built to order in our Chicago workshop.
Built in Chicago
Lifetime warranty
Final approval before delivery
Nationwide white-glove installation
The Piece
The Astor Live Edge Dining Table sets two ideas against each other and lets the tension hold. The base is traditional, two heavy pedestals cut and sculpted in the old manner, the kind of form that has carried dining tables for centuries. The top is anything but: a live edge slab of Oregon black walnut, wild with figure, its natural edge kept and finished but otherwise left as the tree drew it. One half of the table remembers the past. The other could only have come from a single tree.
The Wood
The top is Oregon black walnut, and it is the most dramatically figured wood we build with. Oregon black walnut is claro walnut grown in the Pacific Northwest, prized among domestic hardwoods for the movement and range of color in its figure: curl, crotch, and marbled figure folded together, color running from pale gold through auburn to near black. This top is exceptional even by that standard. The grain sweeps and turns across the surface, and the natural live edge traces the outline of the tree down one side of the table. No two boards of this wood are alike, and a slab figured like this one is rare enough to build a table around.
The Base
Against that organic top, the base is deliberately traditional. Two solid Oregon black walnut pedestals are cut and sculpted into a classic baluster form, each seated on a shaped foot and joined by a low stretcher that runs between them. It is a base with weight and history, hand shaped rather than fabricated, and it grounds the live edge top the way a plinth grounds a sculpture. The pedestal layout also leaves the length of the table clear, so no one seated along it meets a leg.
The Form
The table is eleven feet long. The top follows its natural edge, running from roughly forty eight to fifty four inches wide as the live edge moves in and out along its length. At this scale the figure has room to breathe, and the table reads as a single dramatic gesture anchored by two quiet, classical supports.
The Construction
The top is a single solid slab of Oregon black walnut, roughly two and three eighths inches thick, one continuous board rather than narrow strips milled and glued back together. Beneath the surface it is reinforced with steel C channels, and it is attached to the pedestals with slotted connections that hold the top firmly while letting a slab this wide expand and contract across the seasons. The pedestals and stretcher are solid Oregon black walnut, the same wood as the top. The base separates from the top for delivery, so an eleven foot table can be carried into the room and set back together on site.
The Finish
Every Astor is built to order in our Chicago workshop, beginning with the selection of the slab. Two finishes are available. The 2K polyurethane spray finish, applied in our commercial spray booth, gives a hard, durable surface for daily use. The hand rubbed oil finish using Odie's Universal Oil penetrates the wood and brings figure like this to its full depth. On a top this figured, we recommend the finish based on how the table will be used and how much you want the grain to move under the light.
Meet the designer and builder
Jerry Rodman
Jerry Rodman founded Statement Chicago and designs every piece we make. He left a corporate career to build furniture, and for years he built each commission himself. Today Jerry and his team of four build every piece by hand in our Chicago workshop, and he leads each project from the first conversation to the day it is delivered.
More about Jerry
Jerry started the business eleven years ago in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, first as Bucktown Built and now as Statement Chicago. The shop is known for large dining tables and complex custom furniture.
Every commission begins with how you live and the room the piece will live in. Jerry presents three design options, refines the one you choose, and stays involved through delivery.
WGN featured his Ancient Kauri Dining Table, a ten foot table made from New Zealand kauri that was growing about two thousand years ago.
Built Around You
Every Astor is built around its own live edge slab. The piece shown is one board. Yours will be its own, chosen with you and paired with the sculpted pedestal base.
The Slab
Every Astor is built around its own live edge slab of Oregon black walnut, selected with you for figure before work begins. The one shown is exceptional; yours will carry its own movement, color, and edge.
The Base
Two solid wood pedestals cut and sculpted into a traditional baluster form and joined by a stretcher, as shown. The form is classical and hand shaped, built to ground the organic top.
Size
The piece shown is eleven feet long and runs roughly forty eight to fifty four inches wide along its natural edge. Custom lengths and widths are available, sized to the slab and to your room.
Species
Oregon black walnut as shown, the most figured wood we build with. Other species are available on request, though the drama of this table comes from the walnut.
Finish
2K polyurethane spray finish applied in our commercial spray booth, or hand rubbed oil finish using Odie's Universal Oil. We recommend the finish based on how the table will be used and how much you want the figure to show.
Available In
Client Experience
“I can’t say enough about the quality, craftsmanship, and creativity that he puts behind all his pieces. They are in a class of their own.”
Custom furniture client, Chicago
Before you order
What is the starting price for the Astor Live Edge Dining Table?
The Astor starts at $10,500. Final pricing depends on the slab selected, the overall dimensions, the sculpting of the pedestals, and the finish, since the table is built around an individual piece of figured Oregon black walnut. Each commission is quoted around its own slab.
How long does it take to build?
Lead time is 10 to 12 weeks from the time your commission is confirmed and deposit is received. This includes slab selection, milling, sculpting the pedestals, finishing, and quality review before the piece leaves our Chicago workshop.
What wood is the Astor made from?
Solid Oregon black walnut throughout. Oregon black walnut is claro walnut grown in the Pacific Northwest and the most dramatically figured wood we build with. The top and the sculpted pedestals are both solid Oregon black walnut, and the slab shown is exceptional even for the species. Each Astor is built around its own board.
Is the Astor tabletop one solid slab?
Yes. The top is one continuous slab of Oregon black walnut, roughly two and three eighths inches thick, not narrow boards milled and glued back together. You read the full width of a single tree in one surface, and its width varies naturally from forty eight to fifty four inches along the live edge.
How is a slab this size built to last?
Beneath the top, steel C channels reinforce the slab, and it is attached to the pedestals with slotted connections that hold it firmly while allowing the solid wood to expand and contract with the seasons. The pedestals and stretcher are solid Oregon black walnut. The base separates from the top for delivery and comes back together on site.
Is the top a live edge?
Yes. The natural edge follows the line of the tree along one side of the table, so the outline of the top is organic rather than milled straight. The edge is cleaned, shaped, and finished smooth for daily use while its natural contour is kept. The width runs from roughly forty eight to fifty four inches as the live edge moves along the length.
What are the dimensions and how many does it seat?
The table shown is eleven feet long, forty eight to fifty four inches wide along its live edge, and thirty inches tall. It seats twelve, and the pedestal base keeps the length of the table clear so no one along it meets a leg. Custom sizes are available, sized to the slab and to your room.
Can the Astor be built in a custom size?
Yes. Length and width are built around the slab selected and the dimensions of your room. Because the table is built around an individual live edge board, the size is discussed together with the wood.
What finish options are available?
Two. The 2K polyurethane spray finish is applied in our commercial spray booth and provides a hard, durable surface for daily use. The hand rubbed oil finish using Odie's Universal Oil penetrates the wood and deepens the figure with age.
Can I see the slab before the table is built?
Yes. The slab is selected with you before work begins, with photographs and video for commissions outside Chicago. The workshop and showroom are open by appointment if you would rather stand in front of the board yourself.
Who builds the Astor?
Every piece that leaves Statement Chicago is built by Jerry Rodman, a furniture maker who has been in business for 11 years, and his team of four carpenters in our workshop on Chicago's north side. There is no production line and no outsourcing. When you commission a table, you work directly with the people who build it, from the first conversation to the day it arrives in your home.
Delivery
Every piece is built to order in our Chicago workshop, and delivery is coordinated directly with you once it is finished. We build and ship nationwide. Our white glove delivery partners review the access path, handle any assembly and set the piece in place in your home.
Care
Care depends on the finish. A 2K polyurethane finish needs little more than a soft, damp cloth; avoid harsh chemical cleaners. A hand rubbed oil finish benefits from a light coat of Odie's Universal Oil once a year, or whenever the surface looks dry. With either finish, use trivets under hot dishes, wipe up standing water and keep the piece out of prolonged direct sunlight.
Lifetime warranty
Every piece is covered against manufacturing defects for the life of the piece. We stand behind what we build.
Order yours
Tell us about your room.
Share the size you need, the wood you love, and how you will use the piece. We will size and quote it for your space and guide every step from there.