Twentieth-century furniture maker George Nakashima believed that there is a soul in every tree that can continue to live in a piece of furniture. His signature live-edge tables tell the tales of many mighty specimens—and continue to inspire designers today. Here are a dozen favorite live-edge tables in the spirit of the master.
Above: The many contemporary designers carrying on the Nakashima legacy include his own artisan daughter, Mira Nakashima, who runs the George Nakashima studio, in New Hope, Pennsylvania. She made this American black walnut live-edge dining table, a prized piece in Architect David Ling's Eccentric NYC Loft.
Above: In a minimalist space, live-edge wood furniture can add an organic warmth. Photograph via Tittys and Pancakes.
Above: In a Mill Valley, California, kitchen, a live-edge dining table is cantilevered off a marble cooktop. Photograph by Dustin Askland via Dwell.
Above: A live-edge dining table and a Persian carpet are the anchor pieces in this dining room by Clements Design. Photograph via Domaine Home.
Above: New York architects Messana O'Rorke chose a live-edge wood dining table to marry a modernist addition to an 18th-century house. See how the two styles work together in Ten Broeck Cottage.
Above: A live-edge dining table with a matching bench in a woodsy winter cabin. Photograph via Aluminex.
Above: Not all live-edge wood has to be large scale, as illustrated by this narrow urban garden table. Photograph via Kikette Interiors.
Above: A live-edge bar adds an organic note to The Musket Room in New York's Nolita.
Above: CCS Architecture of San Francisco applied a live-edge walnut slab as the kitchen island in this Santa Cruz Retreat.
Above: Raw-edged cypress is supported by hardware-store sawhorses in this prefab concrete house by Anderson Anderson Architecture of San Francisco. Photograph by David Lauridsen via Dwell.
Above: A slab of live-edge wood works well as a desk in a children's room. Photograph via The Animal Print Shop.
Above: A live-edge coffee table echoes the curves of a linen-covered chaise in the home of Hollywood's Style Guru Estee Stanley.
An artisan works with traditional Japanese woodworking techniques in upstate New York — Jessica Wickham and the Art of Woodworking.
Outfitting a dining room? Take a look at:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Modern Round Tables
- 10 Easy Pieces: Wood Chairs for Under $200
- How to Choose an Overhead Light Fixture
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