Brennon End Table

A bench-style end table from Four Hands, built from solid mixed reclaimed woods with a pentagon-shaped top and softened edges throughout. The legs are joined with mortise and tenon and butt joints, and a fixed shelf sits low in the frame, open on all sides. Cracks, knots and grain run differently from board to board, so each table carries its own pattern of wear.

The finish is a pale, sun-bleached wash that leaves the weathered surface in plain view. The geometric top and the organic character of the wood pull in different directions, which keeps the table from reading as either rustic or strictly modern. It sits comfortably beside linen upholstery, plaster-toned walls, wool rugs and black iron lamps.

Set it beside a sofa or lounge chair, where the top holds a lamp, a drink and a stack of books and the shelf takes baskets, magazines or a folded throw. The proportions are generous for an end table, so it can also stand in as a small low table between two chairs. In an entry or bedroom, it works as a landing spot for keys, a tray or a vase of stems.