Balance Pedestal Dining Table
An oval pedestal dining table built around a hidden counterbalance. The top overhangs its single metal base, held stable by engineering rather than extra legs. Warm wood above, dark sculptural metal below. Built to order in our Chicago workshop.
Built in Chicago
Lifetime warranty
Final approval before delivery
Nationwide white-glove installation
The Piece
The Balance Pedestal Dining Table is built around a simple but difficult idea: an oval table that appears to extend beyond its base without tipping. Most pedestal tables are designed around symmetry, the top centered, the base directly below. Balance is different. The oval top carries an intentional overhang, creating a quiet tension between the surface and the base beneath it. That tension is the point of the piece.
The Physics
Balance is not just a name. It is the structure of the table. The offset oval top creates a natural tipping force. Rather than solving that with extra legs or visible structure, the pedestal carries the weight it needs internally, shifting and controlling the center of gravity so the table stays stable without braces. The engineering is hidden, but the effect is visible. The table shown holds the full weight of an adult seated on the overhanging edge without tipping; custom sizes are re-engineered so the same holds true at any proportion.
The Construction
The top is solid wood, one and three quarter inches thick, with a thirty percent bevel worked into the edge so the surface reads lighter than its mass. It is custom stained, the color chosen from a selection with you. Because it is solid wood, the top is fixed to the base with threaded inserts and slotted metal attachment points that hold it firm while letting the wood expand and contract with the seasons. The counterweight that offsets the overhang is carried in removable steel shot ballast bags inside the pedestal, engineered around the size, species, and overhang of each commission, and removable so the table can be lifted and moved without fighting its own ballast.
The Form
The silhouette is intentionally restrained: an oval top, a single conical pedestal, and no unnecessary visual noise. The overhang gives the table its character while the pedestal keeps it grounded. It is a table for dining rooms, conference rooms, and architectural spaces where the furniture needs to feel original without becoming loud, calm from a distance and intelligent up close.
The Base
The base is metal, dark, sculptural, and grounded, carrying the counterbalance inside its form so the tabletop reads as light. Finishes include oil rubbed bronze, mid-century gold, and a dark patinated tone as shown, among other metal treatments. Whatever the finish, the base stays quiet enough to let the top and the idea behind it lead.
The Finish
The oval top is custom stained to keep the grain visible while giving the surface a refined, quiet presence, with the beveled edge adding depth without ornament. The top is available in selected species from our materials collection, chosen around the size, weight, and character of the commission and stained to your selection. Between the warm wood above and the dark metal below, the contrast is what makes the piece read as both calm and considered.
Every Balance Pedestal Dining Table is built to order in our Chicago workshop. Every change in length, width, top weight, and overhang is recalculated so the base stays stable and the visual tension stays intentional. The proportions change; the central idea does not.
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 Balance Pedestal Dining Table is built to order. The piece shown is one interpretation. The size, wood species, and base finish can be adjusted to your room, while the balance between overhang and base stays the same.
The Top
An oval top with an intentional overhang. Solid wood, one and three quarter inches thick, with a thirty percent beveled edge. Custom stained, the color chosen with you from a selection, in selected species suited to the size and weight of the commission.
The Base
A single sculptural metal pedestal, engineered to counterbalance the overhanging top with removable steel shot ballast carried inside its form. Finishes include oil rubbed bronze, mid-century gold, and a dark patina as shown, among other metal treatments on request.
Size
The piece shown is 90 inches long by 45 inches wide. Custom lengths, widths, and proportions are available for larger rooms and conference spaces, each re-engineered so the base stays stable.
Finish
The wood top is finished with a 2K polyurethane spray finish applied in our commercial spray booth, or a hand rubbed oil finish using Odie's Universal Oil. We recommend the finish based on the species and stain selected, the depth you want in the surface, and the level of daily use the table will see.
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 makes the Balance Pedestal Dining Table different?
It uses a specially engineered counterbalance base to offset the weight of an intentional oval top overhang, keeping the table stable while preserving a clean single-pedestal silhouette. No extra legs, no visible braces, no unnecessary structure.
How does an overhanging top stay stable?
The offset oval top creates a natural tipping force. Rather than adding legs, the metal pedestal carries removable steel shot ballast inside its form, proportioned to shift and control the center of gravity and counter the overhang. The table shown holds the full weight of an adult seated on the overhanging edge without tipping. The engineering is hidden; the stability is real.
How is the top built?
Solid wood, one and three quarter inches thick, with a thirty percent beveled edge. It is fixed to the base with threaded inserts and slotted metal attachment points that hold the top firm while allowing the solid wood to move with the seasons. It is custom stained, the color chosen with you.
What is the base made from?
Metal, a single sculptural pedestal that carries the counterbalance within it as removable steel shot ballast. It is finished to your choice, from oil rubbed bronze to mid-century gold to a dark patina, among other treatments.
What base finishes are available?
Oil rubbed bronze, mid-century gold, and a dark patinated finish as shown are all available, along with other metal treatments on request. The base is meant to stay quiet, so the finish is chosen to sit with the room rather than compete with it.
What wood can the top be built in?
Selected species from our materials collection, chosen around the size and weight of the commission. The top is then custom stained, the color selected with you, so it suits your space. The top shown is custom stained to a dark, satin tone.
How much does the Balance Pedestal Dining Table cost?
Balance commissions begin at $9,500. Final pricing depends on the top dimensions and species, the degree of overhang, the internal engineering required, and the metal finish selected. Because the design cannot simply be scaled without recalculating the counterbalance, each table is engineered and quoted around its final proportions.
What are the dimensions?
The table shown is 90 inches long by 45 inches wide in an oval shape. It seats six comfortably, or up to eight depending on chair width and the final overhang. Custom sizes and proportions are available.
What finish options are available for the top?
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 with age.
Can it be built in a custom size?
Yes. Length, width, species, stain, base finish, and overhang can all be adjusted for the room. Every change is recalculated so the base stays stable and the visual tension stays intentional. The one thing that stays constant is the idea: an oval pedestal table built around the balance between weight and structure.
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 engineering, material selection, fabrication, finishing, and quality review before the piece leaves our Chicago workshop.
Who builds the Balance?
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.