I discovered Lorimer Workshop after I had settled on a table for my office, but if I had it do over again, David Ellison is my guy. David calls himself a tablemaker. He’s happy to piece together a bench or a companion piece, but mainly he makes simple tables from salvaged wood. And, as you can see from his website filled with humble farm tables, sturdy parson’s tables and white-washed trestles, he’s very good at it.

His craft was mainly a hobby during a thirty-year corporate career, but when he decided to post a few pieces on Etsy, the Etsy elves themselves ordered up dozens of desks for their offices in Brooklyn. Word was out and a career switch was in order. These days, David works out of the second oldest mill in Providence, air-drying his “five-season wood” and rummaging around for odd, old bits to be incorporated in his tables. Every table is custom made to your specifications (20 foot table? No problem!) and lead time is about 8 weeks. Visit David at his workshop for some inspiration or check out his website here. Prices are excellent.