Olde Good Things handmade tables are the marriage of our passion for reclamation and our desire to create functional, expressive pieces.
At Olde Good Things, our purpose is to reduce waste, to preserve historic artifacts, and to provide original reclaimed and repurposed objects to our customers through skilled salvaging and craftsmanship. One way we bring all these values together in material form is with our handmade tables. Our artisans work with carefully salvaged wood reclaimed from factories and historic buildings. Original wood is more dense than what is commonly available today, and cut to showcase the grain. Both strong and beautiful when paired with metal, wood, or industrial machine legs, the alliance forges a tale of history repurposed for contemporary use.
We put together a few of our favorite styles of handmade tables, highlighting the story of each top and base below.
Oak Swing-out Seat Table With Cast Iron Base
The paired functionality and beauty of swing-seating makes it beloved by restaurants and public venues. Craftsmen hold true to authentic material and methods in pieces like this – but redesign the tables for enhanced comfort and efficiency. For example, swing-out seating tables can be cut in half and mounted against the wall for bar seating.
Swing-out seating was designed during the height of 19th century industrialization. Created with the intent to seat a maximum number of occupants in a given space, swing-out seating was popular in schools and factories for its space efficiency. Who would have thought something so utilitarian could morph into its contemporary form?
Our four-seat swing table is crafted from reclaimed natural finish oak industrial flooring paired with a cast iron replicated factory base.
Live Edge Walnut Resin River Table With Cast Iron Brooklyn Legs
Walnut is a superb choice for a tabletop, prized by woodworkers for its durability, relatively lightweight, range of color tones, and distinctive burl patterns. The blue-green resin river on this signature table offers additional strength and resistance to wear.
The Brooklyn legs relate a tale of cast iron craftsmanship; Brooklyn’s industrial heritage carries a solid reputation even to the present. Metal casting was one of the “five black arts” of North Brooklyn’s local industry. Brooklyn cast iron legs set off the flowing but edgy design of this handmade table while echoing walnut’s resilience.
Live Edge Maple Dining Table With Cast Iron New York Legs
Live edge table tops always bring an organic artistry to the room. Pair the wood with sturdy iron legs and you get a marriage of opposites – rustic and industrial – that bring out the other’s best qualities.
Maple is a hardwood with a high Janka hardness rating, making it resistant to dents, scratches, and wear. It carries a light, natural color with subtle grain patterns, creating a clean and modern look. Maple’s fine grain structure provides a smooth and even surface, perfect for writing, crafting, or food preparation. Readily available in North America, maple is a more eco-friendly and cost-effective choice compared to exotic hardwoods.
Cast iron was historically manufactured in the northern factories – New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boston – and these solid, stunning industrial pieces balance a cut of wood perfectly.
Live Edge Mahogany Wafer Steel Bistro Table
This piece is a dramatic pairing of a record-breaking tropical cyclone and a record-breaking racing park.
Hurricane Wilma in 2005 was the most intense storm in the Atlantic Basin on record. This tabletop is crafted from mahogany wood salvaged from the resulting felled trees.
The steel base of this spectacular table hails from Belmont Park, home of the final leg of the Triple Crown – the Belmont Stakes. The park was built to suit the luxurious tastes of its affluent founders – Whitney, Vanderbilt, Morgan, and Belmont.
This beautifully- finished and serenely-shaped mahogany bistro table is a crown-worthy highlight of our inventory. Visit our own craftsmen’s workshop on Instagram to see how sealing with epoxy minimizes cracking in this elegant piece.
If you are looking for your own custom handcrafted table to highlight the best in functional design, you can browse our inventory or visit one of our locations. Stay up-to-date on helpful material preservation tips and more projects from our talented craftsmen by following our Scranton, PA workshop on Instagram!
