A slab plank table with welded base.

We recently spent a couple of days on the Washington coast. The cabin had been recently renovated in what I’d call “Pacific Northwest Rustic.” Imagine lots of fir slabs used as benches and shelves, and featured prominently in this dining table. The top consists of a couple of small slabs and a fill strip, all attached to the welded steel base through the bottom so fasteners won’t show. If the top was ever level, it isn’t now–there’s a noticeable amount of cup to the slabs, but I can’t tell if that’s because the boards were inadequately dried before construction or because only the top was finished. It’s a suitable design for the space and location and was probably reasonably economic to produce–both key factors to consider when furnishing 28 cabins. Were I to build something similar, though, I think I’d opt for a trestle base in wood. And the top is the perfect place for some butterfly keys.