Loren Dining Table

Solid White Oak table Traditional mortise & tenon construction Finished in a cerused oak with a satin lacquer top coat What is cerused oak you might ask: Funny where our words begin: Dating back to the 16th century, ceruse was a white lead derivative used as a cosmetic by luminaries such as Queen Elizabeth I. Highly toxic on human skin, it found favor with cabinetmakers, who used the paste …to fill the porous open grain of oak planks. Known in Britain as "limed oak," the finish was popular throughout the Art Deco era and employed by notable midcentury modern pioneers including Jean-Michel Franck and Paul T. Frankl. A version of the technique, with a whitened grain contrasting against a black stain, was widely imitated in the 1950s. These days, nontoxic colored waxes are used to create the effect, which evokes a bygone era of glamour and craftsmanship. I guess even very toxic/dangerous materials can find a place of romance.