My better half would like a hall table for the mail, etc. that has a copper top. While I can build this without difficulty, my sense of design is somewhat limited. My question is, what is the best wood choice to go with the copper sheet metal, both from a grain and color perspective. My first impression is that the base should be darker to show off the copper.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Eric
Replies
I have seen this type of thing done a couple ways, first off was to go dark (walnut, mahagony, dark cherry) and this set off the top very well, the other way I have seen something like this was to go light, (maple, natural cherry) but this gave more of a uniform look to the peice and almost made the coper top blend in. Personally I would go dark and make the copper stick out (all bright and shinny)
Doug
I assume you're going to let the copper age to an "old penny" color? I think mahogany or cherry would work well in that case.
-Steve
That is a good point also, I assumed he was going to keep is nice an shinny like a new pot for the stove.
Doug
Any wood will work but I'd finish it dark. I'd antique the copper too, it's much prettier dark bronzy looking than bright or dull penny colored. Liver of sulfur is the stuff for darkening the copper... or look up patina recipes online. There are also many commercial patina colorants available... Metalsmith magazine has ads for them or you can google them online.
All,
Thanks for the ideas. I had thought that dark is the best way to go also. I will talk with my wife about the aging idea, I really like that.Eric
I would say something grainy. Butternut or Chestnut if you can find it. Also the colour of either of these lumbers would compliment the copper and not fight it with too bold of a contrast.
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Bruce S.
Edited 11/6/2007 8:03 pm ET by BruceS
White oak, finished in a traditional dark arts & crafts shade, looks great with copper. In fact, lots of A&C work incorporates hammered copper elements.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I thought about the arts and crafts dark oak right after I posted, with an aged copper it looks really nice.
Doug
In our den, we have a copper sculpture of a tree, done by a local artist. The trunk and branches are twisted wires and rods, which were then torched and treated to look very dark.
The umbrella of the tree is bright copper, hand-hammered to form the shape and texture of the tree top. Now darkened just a bit with some age, but still rather bright.
Hanging next to it on the wall is a frame I made from birdseye maple. I finished it with a couple of coats of boiled linseed oil, and then a few coats of wax.
The color and texture of the birdseye frame is so close to the color and texture of the tree top, that visitors have mistaken them for a matched set. And it was just a serendipitous mistake.
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I would check out https://frenchmarketlanterns.com/ for ideas to pair with copper lanterns
Consider doing an ebonized finish. I used to have a copper coffee table with black underneath, looked nice.
You may also want to look at David Marks' article on creating a patina finish for the copper.
Ok, not sure where you are located but all the responses have been very east coast or midwest in species.
I love copper it's truly my favorite metal and I use it all the time for all types of fasteners or trim. Im also in the Northwest so I have different access to wood.
I will counter with using NW woods such as clear western red cedar heartwood or clear vg douglas fir, maybe even alder. All finish nicely with copper details. PNW tribes used copper traditionally for a variety of uses these are good historical pairings here.
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