This French café wanted a single communal table that felt relaxed and informal, somewhere between a dining table and a bar. The brief was for something raw, honest and social – a piece that would soften the industrial shell and invite people to linger.
ChêneOak supplied a solid French oak boule slab, creating a long shared table that celebrates the natural edge, grain and colour of single-origin oak.
Café / wine bar – communal table
Live-edge French oak boule slab table as the centrepiece of the space.
Interior Designer: Confidential
Builder / Joiner: Confidential trade partner
Material: Solid French oak slab cut from a boule
Edge: Live edge retained on both sides
Thickness: Generous solid section (boule slab), expressed at the perimeter
Base: Steel frame legs, set inboard to maximise seating and keep focus on the timber
Finish: Clear, café-grade protective finish to keep the natural tone while resisting spills
Grade: Rustic / character grade – knots, checks and natural features intentionally visible
Single-origin French oak, PEFC certified
Supplied as a slab taken directly from boule stock
Boule selection – slab chosen for interesting grain and consistent thickness along its length.
Edge treatment – live edges lightly cleaned and softened, but not squared off, keeping the organic outline.
Base design – dark steel legs disappear visually, letting the timber dominate; fixing points are kept discreet.
The French oak boule table delivers:
This table turns a simple café corner into a memorable place to meet, reinforcing the café’s connection to material, craft and French provenance.
