• Wow. This is the busiest open house I've ever seen. Thanks Inspired Austin readers! #
• Very cool 'Edge House' in Norway on @designmilk: http://bit.ly/ann0wF #
• @Ski_ShoresCafe Re-opening on 4/1? This better not be a cruel April Fools joke. Glad to have you back! #
• Snow in north Austin! http://twitpic.com/14wu2s #

One of the key missing pieces in our home has been a dining table. We designed a dining nook based on a specific table size, and I took it upon myself to find the perfect table. For some reason my wife gave me carte blanche on this one design element, so I made the most of it. Last night we assembled the finished product, and I am pretty excited, check it out:

There are three main elements: a reclaimed Maple bowling lane top, a maple beam, and hot-rolled steel legs. Further details are below, and a full gallery with assembly pics is at the bottom of the post.

Background:

Reclaimed Bowling Lane Table Top

My main inspiration for the top was seeing the Brooklyn Bowl preview photos last summer, like this one:

Flickr Photo by Adam Macchia

I located a carpenter selling reclaimed lanes through many hours of googling and several phonecalls. There are sources in Texas as well as further away.

Metal Support Design & Fabrication

Jonathan at Austin Outdoor Studio really came through for me here. I gave him the following problem statement: “I need table legs to support a 200 lb table that allow for people to scoot in to a banquette without bumping their knees. They also must look really cool.” This is what he came back with. The legs are actually two pieces that bolt together around the cross beam. It’s amazing what they can do with a CNC Plasma table and a welder:

Here is a sketchup model I put together (primarily for spousal approval) of the table based on Jonathan’s design for the legs:



Jonathan’s design was inspired by Brander Design’s truss table.

Maple Beam Finishing

I chose a Maple beam to connect the steel legs as it matches the Maple top. My first phonecall was to Austin carpenter Evan McArthur. Evan is meticulous in his finish work and has a good eye for design. We purchased the milled beam from Austin Fine Lumber. Evan then took care of the final cuts and routing as well as the clearcoat. This was the first complete piece of the puzzle, and it looked beautiful.

Table Assembly Gallery

Thanks to everyone for stopping by my open house today at 1011 Canyon Edge. What a perfect day!

It was great to meet so many of you – I counted 68 visitors in 2.5 hrs! To those who requested additional information – I’m working on it now. Please feel free to send me an email if you have further questions.

• Made a Google Earth flyby with the Sketchup model of my listing. Check it out: http://bit.ly/bZdh7N & stop by on Sunday #modern #austin #
• It's a beautiful day to enjoy the views at 1011 Canyon Edge: http://bit.ly/ciJs3u Stop by! #austin #modern #

One of the great things about specializing in modern architecture is that I often have access to architectural drawings & models of a home (in addition to beautiful photos). In the case of 1011 Canyon Edge I have some of the original architectural drawings, but also a Sketchup model:

Since Google enabled the integration of Sketchup models into Google Earth, I thought it would be cool to record a flyby through the canyon. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and don’t forget to come by the open house on Sunday!

Required Disclaimer: The Sketchup model and/or google earth data may not be to scale or 100% accurate.