Getting a custom live edge table from Saltwoods in Needham

Customized furniture is the way to go if you, like me, have limited space at home. My husband and I had to custom-build our kitchen, and in this post I’ll talk about the process of purchasing our custom live edge table.

We had to go the custom route because our dining area is long and narrow. Standard off-the-shelf options for an 8-seater dining table typically start at 40" widths; a non-option for us as we needed one that would not exceed 33".

Figured since we had to customize our table, we might as well pick a live edge one that would be truly unique! 😉

The first step of my search was to Instagram hard: #LiveEdgeWood, #CustomTable… my hashtag searches eventually led me to Saltwoods in Needham. I didn’t bother shopping around once I saw that they’ve got over 200 Google reviews and a 5-star rating. We booked an appointment for the Friday after Thanksgiving, on Nov 29, 2024.

Visit #1: consultation and selections

Saltwoods is stunning.

We found ourselves in an industrial space softened by nature’s touch, visually arresting from the moment we entered its front doors. Display of their craft everywhere, a space enveloped in woody notes. I had the urge to touch everything.

Woods and finishes at Saltwoods, Needham MA

Finished dining tables at Saltwoods, Needham MA

Finished products at Saltwoods, Needham MA

Selection of dining table legs — Selection of table leg (base) options that one could pick from

Finished live edge table from Saltwoods, Needham MA

Ryan Alfonso, Saltwoods — Ralf and Ryan from Saltwoods

I love working with Ralf when it comes to making selections. Our intuition is often aligned, and as a result we take quick decisions and never second-guess ourselves.

Shoutout to Ryan from Saltwoods who was with us! 👋

Here’s a rundown of the selections to be made:

Wood. Pick from Berkshire Products. We were advised to lean towards English Elm, Walnut or White oak based on the color of wood we wanted and hardiness appropriate for a dining table.
Size. Set aside at least 24" per seating.
Edge
Finish
Knots/voids: Fill with epoxy? If so, what color?
Shape of table base (aka how you’d like the legs to look): Trapezoid? H-Base? Square? Madrid? Don’t worry, there’s a whole wall of display for you to point and pick.
Base material and finish

We picked everything on the first visit, including the wood that Ryan said looked like a good fit for us. It’s the level of efficiency that I live for.

Communication was superb. We got an invoice that detailed our selections that same day and secured our order with a $500 deposit plus payment for the wood slab from Berkshire.