Antiquing in France: Buying a Giant Monastery Table

Buying antiques in France is always an adventure. You're never quite sure what you might find, or how much you'll spend (prices and exchange rates fluctuate every season) or, in some instances, how you're going to manage to get things home.  Occasionally, we stumble upon something really exceptional - so rare and extraordinary that you can hardly believe your luck. That is exactly what happened during our last buying trip. Jean-Marc and Jean-Noel came across an incredible GIANT monastery table (over 20 feet long!) and decided they just couldn't do without this once-in-a-lifetime purchase. And so the buying process began...

Here's a snippet from that serendipitous moment:



This beautiful Portuguese table did finally make to Austin, TX, into our gallery (as did it's sister table  - the other long table you see in the clip above) and it stops people in their tracks. It's spectacular and gorgeous and we're pleased to share it with you. Enjoy!

L'Etabli (the Workbench)

French Antique Solid Chestnut Carpenter's Workbench from Jean-Marc Fray

L'etabli, or workbench in French, is typically made of chestnut, oak, or pine. It has a thick plank on top made of one or two boards, four straight legs with a bottom shelf, and a forged iron clamp.

All serious craftsmen in France had one, from Louis XIV's guilds of ébénistes to the first 19th century  wooden ski makers. They were used by tonneaux (barrel) makers, sabot (wooden shoe) carvers, violin makers, and all furniture craftsmen. In the workshops of any skilled wood-craftsman they were the altar on which, every day - often throughout a whole lifetime or even more than a generation -  raw materials were transformed into personal creations: soulful, simple objects or unique art pieces, crafted by the common hand.

Cabinet Shop, circa 1890

These beautiful slabs of wood tell stories of years and years of manual labor and a bygone era where men made things with their hands using their own personal tools. These pieces were made to last and I can't help myself, when I see one during our buying trips, I just have to have it.  They make great sofa tables for any interior and they look fabulous with this industrial loft look....

Use an antique workbench for an industrial loft look.

 

Workbenches are becoming rare and they usually sell fast, so keep checking our website to see what workbenches we have to offer from time to time. Whether you use it purely for decoration or for functionality, the rustic French etabli will anchor any interior with its inherent strength, and charm its admirers with its unique character and timelessness...