The Story of our Manatee Chamber Conference Table

People have been asking us to add more information about our items, how we make them, and where they end up.   This story is about building and delivering an amazing conference table for the Manatee Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber).  

In March 2019, the Manatee Chamber issued a Bid Request for fixtures and furnishings for the new Manatee Chamber offices to reopen in Summer 2019 at 222 10th Street West; Bradenton, FL 34205.  Sarasota Architectural Salvage responded to the bid request with options for the Manatee Chamber with the concept that we could make a memorable table that would honor the community and fit with the decor and character of the Manatee Chamber.  

Usually when people think of Modern Design, they don't usually think of Architectural Salvage.  Our goal with this project was to be BOLD and Modern, with clean lines, natural materials, and highly finished surfaces.  I'm going to take you through the steps.

Sarasota Architectural Salvage secured aromatic Cedar wood from a mill in southern Georgia.  This wood is considered by some to be difficult to work with and includes extensive "live edge"  which reflects the original tree outline.  It's part of our mission to find cool but perhaps under appreciated wood materials and demonstrate how valuable they are when upcycled into new products.

We began by selecting the best boards for our project.  Every board has its own character and qualities.  For such a wide table, we needed several boards that were all in excess of 16' long, and similar depth.  We also needed them to be as wide as possible and relatively consistent from one end of the board to the other. 

Once the best boards for the project were selected, we proceeded with straightening the live edge pieces so they could be glued and joined together to form the 5 foot wide table top that was specified.  Leaving live edge only on the outside pieces.

After the top was joined, we poured epoxy into the pocks/holes to give the top a smooth finish.

Next we stained the top.

Finally clear coated to provide a durable finish.

The bases were constructed to give access to the electrical and Audio/visual cabling.  Each base was made from a plywood box, with an overlay of reclaimed cypress. 

Overall, our goal was to show the chamber that a good quality table can be made locally from reclaimed materials and fit in a modern office setting using Modern design. 

Please visit the Manatee Chamber to see the table and let us know what you think.

Sustainable. Beautiful. Local.

Sarasota Architectural Salvage.

Thank you Jacki Dezelski, President/CEO Manatee Chamber for your assistance and guidance throughout this project.