This custom swamp kauri tabletop in Auckland was made as a 1600 × 800 mm piece, keeping the slab’s irregular outline and strongly figured grain in view. The project gallery records the timber from its early workshop state through surface preparation and the final clear, high-sheen appearance.
Project at a glance
- Product: custom timber tabletop
- Material: swamp kauri
- Finished size: 1600 × 800 mm
- Design feature: natural, live-edge profile
- Project category: kauri tables
The brief recorded with this project is concise, so the photographs are the clearest account of the build. They show a top made around one distinctive slab rather than forcing the timber into a perfectly uniform shape.
Working with the slab’s natural form
Swamp kauri has enough visual character that a restrained design can carry the piece. Here, the long edges retain their changing line, with darker outer timber framing the lighter centre. The top is brought to a practical rectangular proportion without erasing the shape that makes the slab individual.
That balance matters in custom furniture. A live edge should feel intentional, while the overall top still needs a usable footprint. At 1600 × 800 mm, this piece has a clearly defined size, but its silhouette remains tied to the original timber.
Grain, colour and surface preparation
The workshop views reveal broad waves of figure running through the slab, along with dark streaks and tonal changes near the edges. Careful preparation makes those details easier to read across the full surface. It also creates the consistent base needed before the finishing stages.
The unfinished photographs are useful because they show the top before the final colour and reflection take over. In the later views, the timber develops a much warmer amber tone. The clear finish heightens the contrast between the pale central grain and the darker perimeter without hiding the natural variation.
A finish that lets the figure lead
The completed workshop photographs show a smooth, reflective surface with the grain remaining the main feature. Rather than adding decorative elements to the top, the result relies on the slab’s colour, figure and uneven edge for its identity.
That approach suits bespoke timber furniture: dimensions can be set for the intended space, while the final outline responds to the material available. No two natural-edge slabs will present the same combination of grain and shape, so the maker has to work with what the timber offers.
The finished 1600 × 800 swamp kauri top
The finished piece reads as substantial without becoming visually heavy. Its natural edges soften the rectangular dimensions, and the grain shifts across the surface depending on the viewing angle and light. The result is a one-off tabletop that keeps the material’s history visible through form and figure.
See the complete Swamp Kauri Top 1600 × 800 project gallery for every workshop image.
Discuss a custom swamp kauri furniture project
If you are considering a custom tabletop or another piece of bespoke timber furniture in Auckland, send through the approximate dimensions, photos of the space and any reference images you have. These details help start a practical conversation about proportion, timber character and the intended use.