Questions to Ask When Selecting the Perfect Custom ... · Selecting the Perfect Custom Farmhouse...

10Questions to Ask

When Selecting thePerfect Custom

Farmhouse Table

1

10 Questions to Ask When Selecting the Perfect Custom Farmhouse Table | farmhouseandcottage.com | PG. 2

What is a Farmhouse Table?/ PG. 4

2 What is a Wood Movement? / PG. 5

3 Should My Table Have Breadboards? / PG. 6

4 What Type of Base Should My Table Have? / PG. 7

5 Should My Table Be Seamless or Planked? / PG. 8

6 What Type of Extension Should I Consider? / PG. 9

7 What Type of Styles Will My Farmhouse Table Match? / PG. 10

8 Should My Table Be Made of New Wood or Reclaimed Wood? / PG. 11

9 What Kind of Finish Should My Table Have? / PG. 12

10 What About Painted Tables? / PG. 13

Intro / Selecting the Perfect Custom Farmhouse Table / PG. 3

Final Notes / Bringing Home Your Custom Farmhouse Table / PG. 14

Intro / Selecting the Perfect Custom Farmhouse Table

Farmhouse tables are our passion. If you’re reading this guide, you might be one of the thousands

of people about to welcome a farmhouse table into your home. We love connecting people

with the perfect farmhouse table, and along the way, we get lots of questions — and we love

answering them. That’s why we put together this guide, which will answer not only the most

common questions, but also the questions that are most important to ask, which you might not

have thought of already.


Why breadboards were invented

Why the ends of a table are darker than the sides and tops

Why people started painting tables

Why all natural wood tables will crack over time

Why aprons were invented (and when they’re simply decorative)

In addition to answering the 10 questions listed

in the table of contents, you’ll also learn:

1What is a Farmhouse Table?

A farmhouse table is any table made of several large planks of wood, characterized by

straightforward or simple design and construction. The wood can be joined seamlessly or planked,

and most often the planks run lengthwise. In almost all cases, the planks are cracked to some

degree — this is part of the natural character that makes a farmhouse table a farmhouse table.

If your farmhouse table is made from reclaimed

wood, it may already contain cracks. If you receive

a table that is not cracked already when you receive

it (which is likely the case if your table is made of

new wood), it is almost guaranteed to crack at some

point. This is not a defect of the table, rather, it is a

characteristic that makes the table unique. In no way

do these cracks compromise the table structurally.

Farmhouse tables are tough, are built to last and

made to handle the wear and tear a table will get

over a lifetime. They are designed to show natural

wear and are beloved for showing off the nicks and

For generations, these tables have been a

gathering place. They were designed originally

as a basic tool, and have since evolved into an

heirloom piece. But their roots as a utilitarian

tool have ensured that they will last a lifetime.

dings that your family adds over time. This is not a

table that needs fussing over. Due to the traditional

materials, classic construction and simple design,

farmhouse tables can fit into almost any décor —

which is good, because a farmhouse table will

outlast trends and decorating styles. It will work in a

modern room with cool metals and industrial details,

or in a traditional setting with eyelet curtains and

intricately-stitched embroidered pillows.

Once you invest in this piece, there’s no place it won’t

feel comfortable. That’s one of the biggest reasons

that the appeal of this table has lasted centuries.


2 What is Wood Movement?

Wood is one of the most basic natural materials. It’s resilient and just flexible enough to withstand

the elements with its ability move naturally. What this means for modern farmhouse table owners

is that your table will expand and contract a certain amount over time.

In the case of a farmhouse table, this means the

temperature and humidity of your house. Ever notice

that old wood doors will stick to their doorframes

in the summer? Humidity and heat cause wood to

expand, while dry air and cold temperatures cause

wood to shrink. Old, reclaimed barn wood that’s

been exposed to the elements over decades will

expand and shrink a little less than new wood, but

will still have some movement over time.

Because of the movement of wood, the ends of

the boards of your farmhouse table will eventually

start to crack. As mentioned in our definition of a

farmhouse table, these characteristic cracks add to

How much your wood expands

and contracts depends on a variety

of elements, including the age of

the wood and the heat, dryness or

dampness that the table is exposed to.

the charm that attracts many to farmhouse tables,

and in no way affects the integrity of your table. In

fact, their value increases over time, and European

tables with lots of authentic cracks and warped wood

have sold for tens of thousands of dollars.

On average, a farmhouse table will expand or

contract up to an inch over the year. In general, this

difference in size will not be noticeable overall, but

will affect your table in noticeable ways depending

on certain design choices and customizations. We’ll

discuss the types of things that will be accentuated

by natural wood movement over time in several of

the chapters that follow.

40% humidity is most ideal for your farmhouse table


3 Should My Table Have Breadboards?

Breadboards are the end boards that run perpendicular to the main lengthwise boards of your

table. Breadboards were originally named for their use in farmhouse kitchens, when a wide flat

planked board was used to knead bread dough. The problem with these “breadboards” is that

due to wood movement they would curl up or “cup” so an end piece of wood was add to prevent

this, hence breadboard ends. Today, they are mostly a decorative addition, although they have

another practical use.

Why would you want breadboards to hide your end

grain? Wood is made up of straw-like tubular fibers that

run lengthwise — up and down the trunk of a tree, to

carry nutrients from the roots into the branches. When

a table is stained or painted, the tops and sides of the

boards are able to be consistently, evenly painted.

However, the ends of the boards, since they are filled

with the ends of these “straws” (the xylem and phloem),

soak up much more of the liquid, resulting in darker/

heavier-colored ends than the sides. This is simply how

treating a natural material like wood works, but some

prefer to prevent this shade inconsistency by adding

breadboard ends to the ends of the table. Breadboards

serve to hide the end grain in a table, making the edge

grain consistent all the way around the table.

Breadboards serve to

hide the end grain in a

table, making the edge

grain consistent all the

way around the table.

Why would you NOT want breadboards on your

table? As we previously discussed, wood naturally

expands and contracts with varying humidity and

temperature — but this wood movement only occurs

perceptibly width-wise. This means that the width

of your table will vary throughout the year, but the

length will remain the same. Because the wood grain

of the breadboard runs in the opposite direction, it

will not expand and contract, so at different times

of the year it will either be shorter or longer than

the rest of the table. Most people embrace this as

part of the charm of a farmhouse table. This is not a

defect, but it is something to be aware of.


4 What Type of Base Should My Table Have?

There are two main types of table bases — legs (which come with aprons), and pedestals or

trestles. Legs are pretty common — everyone knows a table with a nice set of legs. These legs

can be straightforward or decorative, but are the most common table base. For farmhouse tables,

decorative legs (with feet or fancy scrolls) are rare, since a farmhouse table is characterized by

simplicity, but there are still a variety of simple leg styles from which to choose.

Aprons were added to tables originally to hold the

legs on a table, and they still perform this necessary

task. All tables with legs come with aprons. Aprons

can be added to tables with trestles or pedestals,

although for these types of tables, they are purely

decorative. Some table makers add embellishments

to aprons to make them look classier. A beaded

apron was thought at one time to be more modern

and presentable. As for Shaker or country tables,

they would never put embellishments on an apron,

because a table was meant to be as functional as

could be — the Shaker style is all about function.

Pedestal and trestle tables are characterized in their

heftiness. One of the benefits of a pedestal or trestle

table is the ability to fit more people around them,

since the legs don’t get in the way of an additional

person pulling up a chair.

A trestle table looks more primitive and typically

does not have an apron, so it tends to look more

utilitarian. Trestles have flat ends and a stretcher

between them, to mitigate the fulcrum force.

Pedestal bases are most commonly seen as single

pedestals on smaller tables that are square or round,

but larger farmhouse tables with two pedestal bases

are also available.

Legs

Trestle Pedestal


5Should My Table Be Seamless or Planked?

As you may imagine, seamless tables are constructed

to be one seamless, level top. Pretty straightforward,

and easy to clean. A potential downside of seamless

table is that, whether your seamless table has a

breadboard or not, the planks are glued together,

so natural wood movement over time can result in

end cracks (also known as checking). This in no way

lowers the integrity of the table, but is something to

be aware of.

Planked tables have grooves that accentuate the

border between each board, instead of being planed

as a flat surface. A planked farmhouse table still has

the planks glued together, like a seamless table, but

the edge of each board has been rounded slightly

or planed at an angle to so you can really see the

planks that make up the table top. This is a style that

is unique to farmhouse tables and gives it a slightly

more primitive, traditional wood table look. This

routing of edges on planked tables is strictly done

for effect. The potential downside of those grooves

created in the table is the additional effort to clean

debris out of all those areas.

Another type of table that is a less-frequently seen

option is floating planks inside a frame of edges

and breadboards. (see diagram/illustration) Because

they can expand and contract easily, they tend not to

crack as much over time. However, the natural wood

movement can expand and contract to the point

where you can drop things between them. Gaps will

develop in those tables, and the boards can end up

skewed at slightly different angles over time.

Seamless

Planked

Floating Planks


6 What Type of Extension Should I Consider?

What happens when you have company over, and your everyday table capacity is not enough?

That’s what extensions are for. There are two main types of extensions: center leaf extensions and

company board extensions.

A company board extension is an extra piece of

wood which is added at the end of a table, instead

of at the center. One of the benefits of a company

board extension is that it doesn’t compromise the

integrity of the table by cutting it in half, as you

must do with a center leaf extension. The company

board extension is held on by slots cut into the

apron (or braces on a non-apron table) into which

the company board’s long arms are inserted. One of

the drawbacks of a company board extension is that,

since it’s added to the end, there’s usually a little

wobble and play of the extension — it’s not quite

as stable as a center leaf. This can be accentuated

by the natural wood movement over time. It’s also

a little more difficult to store a company board

extension, since the long arms are attached.

Company Board Extension Center Leaf Extension


A center leaf extension is a piece of wood that goes

into the gap revealed in the middle of a table when

the two halves of the table are pulled apart. For

pedestal tables with a center leaf extension, large

runners must be attached underneath the table.

The runners allow the sides to move smoothly, and

also hold up the center leaf. When your company

leaves, simply take out the leaf and push the table

back together — the extension is easy to store. One

drawback of the center leaf extension, however, is

the need to split the table top, which reduces the

stability and sturdiness of the table by half — and

relies on the runners to keep the table together.

7 What Type of Styles Will My Farmhouse Table Match?

A farmhouse table is a timeless piece of furniture, and its simple, classic design makes it a great fit

for virtually any style. From modern industrial to traditional or cottage, the farmhouse table makes

a statement without clashing with any style, and enhances any décor. Depending on the chairs

you surround it with, a farmhouse table’s look can be totally transformed.

Lake House & MountainThe primitive legacy comes out when a farmhouse

table is in a rustic lake or mountain setting.

Beach House & CottageThe farmhouse table is a hovmey gathering place

in a beautiful cottage-styled setting.

TraditionalA few antique mahogany chairs and a light and

fresh centerpiece, and the farmhouse table

completes a traditional room.

FarmA few simple pine chairs completes a farm look

around a farmhouse table.

Industrial Chic Industrial Chic is all about textures, a mixing of old

and new, where a wood farmhouse table mixes

well with industrial metal chairs.

Modern/TransitionalThrow a few plastic or metal chairs around it and

it’ll look really cool in a loft.


8 Should My Table Be Made of New Wood or Reclaimed Wood?

There are two options for the type of material used in your farmhouse table. Traditionally,

farmhouse tables were made from new wood, more recently table builders have begun to make

them out of reclaimed and salvaged wood to emulate the age and textures you could only find

in expensive tables seen in antique shops and at auctions. Let’s take a look at the benefits and

drawbacks of both.

Reclaimed wood is just that — wood reclaimed

from structures, typically barns in New York,

Pennsylvania and Vermont. In some cases, Amish

workers disassemble barns by hand taking each

board from the top down. This process is labor-

intensive, separating each board by hand, taking

nails out, running them through metal detector to

make sure there aren’t any metal pieces left and

then the wood still has to be kiln-dried to get rid of

any living organisms that might have gathered in the

wood over time. When you buy a table made from

this wood, you’re getting a table that is made from

wood that shows whatever happened to that barn

over the past 100 years. Wormholes and other marks

left by bugs over time is one of the trademarks of

reclaimed barn wood, and is one of the hardest-to-

replicate elements. Sometimes you’ll also find pieces

containing wood that was chewed on by horses,

or has black stains where iron tools were screwed

to the wall for hundreds of years — every table is

completely unique. And they’re beautiful.

Reclaimed wood is also very hard, after years of

shrinking and expanding in the elements. It’s much

harder than traditional new woods.

New wood is easier to control, in terms of color

and condition, because it can be constructed from

consistent batches of lumber. It’s kiln-dried, and

then treated to make it look older and give it some

character. In farmhouse tables, people are looking

for character, so if you’re using new wood, you’re

getting a faux finish of dings, wormholes, cracks,

etc. You can always tell when a table is made of

new wood, because hand weathering is not quite

as random as nature.

New wood can be enhanced

with stains and waxes,

but you’ll never be able

to mimic the character of

reclaimed wood.


9 What Kind of Finish Should My Table Have?

Waxed wood has a very natural look, a dull sheen.

The wood grain really stands out when waxed —

it’s the best way to accent woods on the table. The

only place you can get a waxed finish is in reclaimed

wood. Almost all old antique farmhouse tables

are waxed, since it was the only way to preserve

the wood before inexpensive varnish came into

fashion. At one time only the elite could afford fancy

varnished tables. Waxed wood is easy to care for. You

can simply wipe it with a damp cloth. Waxed tables

are very forgiving. If the table has a scratch, you can

just get out a can of wax and rub it back in. And

you should wax your table once a year anyway — so

there is some maintenance. Water rings, hot things

and spills can be avoided with trivets, tablecloths

and placemats. If you wipe up spilled wine right

away, it shouldn’t stain, but it can absorb. This just

adds to the beauty of it. If you want a table that lives

with your family over the years, get a waxed table.

There are also pigmented waxes that give a table

color. You should be aware that the darker the wax,

the more the wood grain disappears. And once you

wax a table, it’s waxed forever (you can’t stain it once

you’ve waxed it).

A stained and varnished finish is much more

durable and easier to take care of. It doesn’t look

like natural wood, and the finish is much harder. It’s

easy to clean and looks modern. If it gets damaged

— scratched by a cat or chopped at by your kids’

silverware (we’ve been there), it is almost impossible

to touch up. There are little tricks that can help

mitigate minor damage (like rubbing walnut oil

on small marks to make them less visible), but

significant damage will always be there unless you

refinish your table. If you’ve seen an antique piece

of furniture that’s still beautifully varnished, it has

almost certainly been refinished.

The type of finish on

your table determines

not only the look of your

table, but the type and

amount of care involved

in maintaining them.

Waxed

Stained and Varnished


10 What About Painted Tables?

Painted tables are another finish option. Traditionally, paint was used either to preserve a table or

add a splash of color to a room. Today it’s used for aesthetics.

One option is to paint the base of the table (legs,

trestle base, apron), while keeping the top natural

with a stained or waxed finish. Or, you can paint

the entire table, including table top. Traditionally

if farmhouse tables were painted, they were only

painted on the base, to add a splash of color to the

room — if you recall, paint used to be made with

lead, so a painted table top would not be very safe

to eat off of. In modern times, with paint that is more

chemically stable, paint has been used all over to

lighten up a room if the woodwork is very dark. The

durability of a painted table is good, especially if

you add a clear coat on the top. You can opt for a

distressed or rubbed finish (most farmhouse tables

have a light distressing).

One thing to keep in mind with painted tables is

that the knotholes bleed through — no matter how

well the table is sealed, you will see some knotholes.

Even if you receive an all-white table, the wood

tannins will eventually bleed through in patches

or lines. This is just something to be aware of. The

darker the paint, the less likely you’ll see it.

Add a splash of color to

your room.


Final Notes / Bringing Home Your Custom Farmhouse Table

Once you’ve answered the questions we’ve covered in this guide, you’ll be nearly done with

selecting your dream farmhouse table. There is one final consideration, though, and it is just as

important as any of the 10 questions we’ve already discussed. The final step is selecting who

you’ll buy your dream table from.

Of course, we would love it if you bought your table from us, but if you have another supplier in

mind, make sure they can address all of your questions. We tell all of our prospective customers:

keep asking questions until you’re comfortable that your selected provider is aware of what they

are promising. We have decades of experience in not only the crafting of unique farmhouse

tables but also in providing knowledgeable answers to the realistic questions around customizing

farmhouse tables.

Farmhouse tables are a big investment, because they’re not just a piece of furniture. They’re a

legacy that you can keep in your family for generations. Make sure you know what to expect when

making your customizations, and you’ll be well-prepared to welcome your one-of-a-kind table

into your home. Thanks for reading, and all of us at Farmhouse and Cottage wish you the best of

luck finding your dream table!


You can find us online anytime at

farmhouseandcottage.com

Call us during regular business hours

884-576-1368

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