Specifying a Live Edge Conference Table in Chicago: Single Slab vs. Glued Panels

A conference table is the one piece of furniture in an office that every client, candidate, and board member will sit at. Buyers who want a live edge table usually have a picture in mind of a single continuous slab. What they often receive from furniture vendors is a glued panel with a live edge applied to the outside boards. The two are not the same thing. This guide explains the difference and lays out what to specify so you get the table you intended.

We warehouse twenty single-slab Saman tables in Lincolnwood, Illinois. View the live edge Saman table collection or read on for the specification checklist.

Single slab versus glued panel

A single-slab table is cut from one cross-section of one tree. The grain runs uninterrupted from end to end and edge to edge, the live edges are the actual perimeter of the trunk, and the figure in the center of the table is the natural pattern of the log. No two are alike, and the width of the table is fixed by the width of the tree.

A glued panel is made of several boards edge-joined together. It can be made to any width, and the outer boards may carry a live edge. It is a legitimate way to build a table and it costs less to produce. It is not, however, what most buyers mean when they say live edge. Glue lines are visible under direct light, grain direction shifts from board to board, and the character that makes a live edge table worth specifying is diluted.

When you request quotes, ask the vendor directly: is this one piece of wood?

Why Saman for a boardroom

Saman, also called monkeypod, is a large tropical hardwood with a wide, dark heartwood band and a lighter sapwood edge, which gives a live edge slab a natural two-tone outline. It grows to diameters that make single-slab conference tables possible without joining. Our slabs are legally imported Ecuadorian Saman (Samanea saman) — CBP-entered, duty-paid.

What to specify

Length

Our slabs run 8, 9, 10, and 10.5 feet. As a working rule, allow about two feet of table edge per seated person. An 8-foot table seats eight comfortably; a 10.5-foot table seats up to twelve. Measure the room and leave at least three feet, preferably four, between the table edge and the wall so chairs can be pulled back and people can pass behind seated guests.

Width

Our slabs are 32 to 50 inches wide. For a boardroom where people sit on both long sides and use laptops, 40 inches or more is comfortable. Narrower slabs suit a hospitality communal table or a long single-sided counter arrangement.

Thickness

Every slab is two and a half inches thick. Thickness matters for two reasons: the table reads as substantial from across the room, and the slab has the mass to stay flat across a ten-foot span without a reinforcing frame under it.

Finish

Each slab is lacquered. Some are matte, some are gloss, and the sheen is fixed per slab. Choose the slab, not the sheen: in practice, the grain and figure of a particular slab will decide the table, and the finish it carries is part of what you are selecting. Lacquer is appropriate for a working conference surface that sees coffee cups, laptops, and paper every day.

Base

A black steel base is included with each table, factory-finished. Four designs are available: Trestle, Chevron, Cross, and Lattice. Trestle and Cross keep the ends open for chairs at the head and foot; Chevron and Lattice make a stronger visual statement and suit a room where the table is seen from the side. All bases have adjustable leveling feet, which matters on older Chicago floors that are rarely true.

Seating

Our slabs seat eight to twelve depending on length. Confirm chair width before finalizing; wide executive chairs reduce the count.

Delivery access

This is the item buyers forget. A ten-foot slab is a single rigid object. Before you buy, confirm freight elevator dimensions, stair turns, door widths, and hallway corners along the path from the loading dock to the room. Ask your building management for the freight elevator's interior length on the diagonal. We offer white-glove delivery for tables in Chicagoland, northwest Indiana, and southern Wisconsin, quoted separately, and we will ask these questions before we schedule.

Three tables that show the range

The checklist above is easier to apply against real pieces than against categories. Three currently on the floor:

• Slab No. 02 — a 10 ft single-slab boardroom table, 32 to 43 inches across the live edge. Full boardroom length, and narrow enough at one end to suit a room where the table is seen from the side.
• Slab No. 20 — a 9 ft live edge conference table, 35 to 44 inches. Nine feet seats ten and is materially easier to get into a building than ten.
• Slab No. 10 — a 9 ft conference table, 32 to 38 inches. The narrower profile suits a hospitality communal table or a room with a tight traffic route on one side.

Each table is listed individually with its own measured length, three-point widths, thickness and price.

Inspection before purchase

A single slab should be seen before it is bought. We hold all twenty tables at our Lincolnwood warehouse, and viewing is by appointment. You can stand at the slab, check the figure, and confirm the sheen and base design before committing. Designers and procurement teams buying for a client can register through the trade page.

Next step

Browse the live edge Saman table collection, then contact Norman at (773) 584-7334 or info@platinumluxuryteak.com to schedule an appointment. Bring your room dimensions and elevator measurements, and we will tell you which slabs fit.