BH | Studio Cluny Oval Pedestal Dining Table

The pedestal dining table came into its own in the early nineteenth century, when cabinetmakers in Empire France and Regency England set round tops on central supports so that diners were no longer fighting with legs at the corners. A table with nothing at its edges is still the most generous shape for a meal: everyone can see everyone, and there is always room for one more chair.

This is the long version: an elongated oval top in an oak veneer in Hazel or Honey, carried on two pedestals, each a cluster of three rounded columns set well in from the ends. With the supports tucked under the centre line, the whole edge is free for chairs, and it seats six without anyone sitting at a corner; the open ends mean an extra chair always fits. It is rated to hold 330 lbs, and assembly is required.

Made for a proper dining room, it seats six for family meals that turn into gatherings, and it serves as a generous work table between times. Dress it with candles down the middle, a long linen runner and a sideboard behind. The warm wood gives it weight in a room with tall windows, and it looks superb with dark green walls and upholstered chairs.