Handmade Refectory Dining Table and Bench

Design Sketch

A handmade refectory table and bench taking shape

I’m currently working on a handmade refectory dining table and bench commission, built to bring in that old vicarage / farmhouse feel but in a way that still feels clean, balanced and right for a lived-in home.

The starting point was a customer reference and a general direction rather than a fixed final design, which is often how the best bespoke dining table builds begin. The brief was for a large solid wood dining table with real presence, paired with a matching bench and built around a more traditional, characterful base. These are the kinds of table designs found through antique sales outlets, and part of this build is about carrying that older refectory style forward in a bespoke size that works for the home it is actually being made for.

As the design developed, we worked through the proportions properly and settled on the final sizes below:

Table: 244 x 100 x 76 cm
Bench: 244 x 44 x 46 cm

The table keeps that classic refectory dining table feel, with a substantial base and a good sense of weight. The bench has been resolved with a three-leg X-frame base, which keeps the set feeling grounded without competing with the table itself.

That is usually the important part with bespoke furniture. It is not just whether each piece works on its own, but whether the whole build feels right together.

At this stage, I do not know exactly how every final detail will land in terms of hand made shapes of the table legs, finish, pattern and overall surface character. I tend to leave a bit of room for that. Once the build is actually in front of me in the workshop, those final decisions usually become much clearer.

That is part of what makes handmade furniture different. The structure and proportions are set, but there is still space for instinct, material and process to guide the final result.

This one now moves into the making stage, and I’ll share more as the build develops through the workshop.