Photo: Conte Caserta
The numbers alone are already gigantic: the tabletop, which has been produced from a single piece of acacia wood, measures 420 x 150 cm. At their trade fair premiere, the Berlin table manufactory Conte Caserta thus really wants to do things in a big way. They also announce with the corresponding self-confidence that it is the largest table made of this type of wood that has been exhibited at imm cologne to date.
Conte Caserta produces solid tabletop leaves from the golden-brown acacia wood, which are cut from the middle of the tree and processed in one piece. The individual grain extends like a painting over the entire surface. This means that every table is a unique piece: grain, knotholes or cracks lend each table a singular expression and its own personality. And in order that this personality is retained over the long term, more than 100 hours of handiwork have been invested in each table. Depressions are first filled with synthetic resin. The tabletop leaves are then ground and polished a number of times and treated with nut oil. This ensures a level surface with a velvet-soft feel.
Powerful wood fibres and the angled progression of the fibres lend the acacia wood, and thus also the table, a high degree of stability. The frame below is also meant to contribute to this. Embedded steel beams prevent the “cupping” of the tabletop, and millimetre-precise height adjustment ensures level placement even on uneven floors.
The tables are exclusively manufactured with wood that may be chopped down with documented permission and that is certified by the Royal Thai Forest Authority. Conte Caserta plants a new tree for every cubic metre of processed wood. The company is in this way actively dedicated to combating illegal clearing and promoting sustainable forestry.
