Cocktails, anyone? Designing a Custom Table to Fit the Bill

Handcrafted elements give a room that little something extra. We typically commission a bespoke piece or two for each space we create. If you’ve been following for a while, then you know I love supporting local artists and artisans. One of my favorite sources for custom furnishings is Michael James Furniture based in Centreville, Maryland. Owned by brothers Ryan and Shawn McCuen, the company produces gorgeous pieces in wood and iron (Ryan oversees the wood end of the business, while Shawn manages the metal). Many of the company’s offerings have made their way into our projects (more on that later), and we always customize the size and finishes to fit a space’s needs.

For one recent project, though, we decided to go the fully custom route, and this beauty is the result:

We were searching for a special cocktail table for our McLean clients’ great room. The space is large, so I knew it needed a table with some heft. Rather than selecting a design from the Michael James product line, I created my own design and collaborated with the team there to execute it.  I sketched by hand the design for a dramatic, three-tier cocktail table and then turned it over to the Michael James team to complete (after a few iterations) the final CAD rendering for production:

Ryan and Shawn met me at the clients’ home to do a field measure and see the space. That’s what I love about working with Michael James Furniture — the level of custom service and attention to detail is unmatched. I communicate directly with the brothers, so nothing ever gets lost in the translation. Here’s the dynamic duo in our clients’ great room on an installation day (that’s Shawn on the left and Ryan on the right):

You can see above some of the other customized Michael James pieces they installed in this great room, starting with the show-stopping Wilmington fireplace screen that was custom-sized. Michael James also crafted a pair of cabinets to flank the fireplace and the Paris console table, with a walnut top and iron legs, which now sits behind the sofa.

Back to the cocktail table design…I wanted the tops to relate to the stone surrounding the fireplace, so I headed over to R. Bratti Associates in Alexandria — my go-to for stone and fabrication. R. Bratti’s selection is amazing, and they did not disappoint this time. I found this spectacular slab of Jerusalem limestone and knew it would be perfect for the project:

The two-inch-thick slab contains many fossils. I worked with the R. Bratti team to ensure that we would capture those rich, prehistoric details. We laid out a template on the slab for each of the three tops.

I envisioned a rustic finish for the sides. Craftsmen at R. Bratti chiseled the sides by hand and then sanded and finished the edges. Here’s a peek at the rough-hewn finish:

This image also provides a glimpse at the iron base. There again, I wanted a rustic, textured look. The dark brown finish, with gold flecks and a hammered relief, is the same found on the bases of the two fireplace cabinets. The choice also plays well with other metal finishes found in the house (such as that used for the stair railings), which provides some continuity. But don’t let the pretty, artisanal finish fool you: this base is solid and definitely strong enough to support the substantial stone tops.

I made a final visit to R. Bratti last week to inspect the final product before delivery. I was blown away by the beauty and craftsmanship. Here is what I found on the R. Bratti warehouse floor:

And here is the cocktail table again, with our clients’ great room as the lovely backdrop:

I love how the table looks different from every angle.

And the details — the chiseled sides and textured base — are amazing, don’t you think?

Our clients couldn’t be happier with the result. Now that their grown children have flown the nest, the couple is ready to entertain friends in style — and their new cocktail table stands ready to serve.

I plan to show more of this great room and other spaces in this beautiful McLean home in future posts so stay tuned. With the exception of the kitchen, we are re-designing the entire first floor, which includes a masculine study and a master-bedroom sanctuary.

For now, though, I will leave you with a few images of past projects that showcase pieces from Michael James Furniture. This ASID-award-winning family room in Arlington features two of their works — this custom cocktail table (another collaboration with R. Bratti for the stone top)…

…and this custom console:

The living room of the same clients also boasts the oval Crawford cocktail table by Michael James:

This Arlington living room features a custom variation of the Crawford table, done here as a round with a lower shelf.

For this Arlington great room, we worked with the teams at Michael James and R. Bratti to create this stunning custom cocktail table with an African Rainforest granite top:

The Michael James line also includes several graceful styles of benches. I placed their Devon bench in the hallway I created for the 2013 DC Design House:

Here’s another view, also showing the adjacent French Modern Bar I designed for that year’s show house as well:

As you can see, I’m a big fan of Michael James Furniture! Their product line is sold to the trade only, so please contact me if you’d like to learn more.