Dorset
Shibui table
The Shibui table was designed for a family in Dorset who wanted something a bit different from your average dining table. It needed to seat twelve, feel unmistakably Kille, and ultimately be something that could stay in the family for generations.
Made for twelve. Built for generations.
The clients came to me with three main things they wanted: a table that was different, something that could comfortably seat twelve people, and something that looked like a Kille.
To me, that meant traditional, well-executed joints, a contemporary but timeless design, and something made properly enough to be passed down.
They wanted the table to be a focal point for the family as much as the room – somewhere everyone could sit together and make memories.
Back to the book.
I started by asking what it was about my work they were drawn to. That gave me a good idea of the details and direction that might work for them.
Then I went back to “the book” – a collection of sketches and ideas I’ve built up over the years. Whenever someone comes to me with a project, I normally have a look through it to see if there’s something I’ve already thought about that could work.
We took a few of those ideas, worked out what they liked and what they didn’t, and gradually landed on the final design.
Letting the joinery show.
When they said they wanted something different from your average table, this was the part that took some thinking.
There are millions of ways to make a table, but most follow the same basic rules – legs underneath and a flat, uninterrupted top.
Bringing the legs through the tabletop broke that up. The top wraps around them and the mortise and tenon joint is left on show at the front.
It’s a fairly simple detail, but it’s the thing that really sets the table apart.