Concrete Dining Tables

When searching for an over sized dining table, there is no other material that offers the customization like concrete does. Over sized natural stone slabs are prohibitive because of the incredible energy it takes to cut these slabs out of the ground from all over the world, ship them, and process them down. Concrete offers an interesting opportunity to the custom and semi-custom table market because of its ability to be customized in endless ways.

Concrete products typically start from scratch utilizing local recourses and become a finished product with very little energy consumption and a small carbon footprint. Compared to the rigorous and expensive process of ripping stone out of the earth, the concrete option seems a bit more enticing. Ordering large size table tops from concrete fabricators is as simple as choosing the thickness, shape, color and finish. If the company does not offer an existing concrete color that you like, just have them color match the concrete to a paint swatch. Although size is typically dictated by the casting surfaces concrete fabricators use to form and pour concrete on, large dining table surfaces can be created by altering the standard materials to suit custom orders. And that’s not all. Concrete can be made lighter weight than most other stones and still have the appearance of a thick slab. The use of GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete) or Light Weight Concrete has given concrete furniture fabricators the ability to make extremely large pieces that are lighter and stronger than typical wet cast concrete.

Most designers and architects who are using concrete in their designs are blending materials by placing steel and wood table bases with large concrete table tops. Both steel and wood act as good structural support for these large tops and the finish options also provide a great complimentary look for the concrete table tops. Steel bases allow for solid structural support when the table top needs to have a large overhang or cantilever. The popular choice for a steel base tends to be a rectangular or square tubular steel stock. Artisan steel workers can patina just about all steel stock to create one of a kind finishes. Wood bases will also provide adequate support and always add warmth to a design by the contrast of that natural wood grain against a concrete table top. Wood can be stained, wire brushed, painted and oiled to create amazing finishes that will match any décor. “It’s hard to say what the look of concrete is anymore,” says Dave Grech of Trueform Concrete, “because it can take on so many forms and designs, you really have the ability to create anything with this material.” Designers and architects have taken this product to new levels by demanding new and refreshing looks and finishes for their clients.

In the past, concrete was not exactly the first pick for dining room table designs. Most people associate this material with highways, bridges, and sidewalks. Because it is typically used in an industrial structural application it becomes intriguing when that same material ends up as the focal point in a room. It is the concrete paradigm shift! According to Grech, “Looking forward, I see a bright future for concrete products. It’s great to see this material evolve to solve new challenges and work its way into the most unexpected places.”