TL;DR Summary

This dark walnut table was the first piece ever commissioned under New England Table Company. Built for a friend and his wife in Boston while the maker was still working full-time at KAYAK, it became the spark that turned nights-and-weekends woodworking into a full-time second career. Crafted in a small upstairs workshop and delivered with care, the table was the beginning of something much bigger.

  • Commissioned by a friend and colleague from KAYAK

  • Built on nights and weekends after finishing a woodworking apprenticeship

  • Constructed in an upstairs shop and carefully carried down by hand

  • Delivered to a Boston couple celebrating a new chapter in their life

  • Led to new clients, growing demand, and the launch of a full-time business

Every business has a first project — the one that makes everything else possible. For me, that project was this dark walnut dining table, commissioned by a friend and colleague from KAYAK. He and his wife were a young couple, just starting to settle into their Boston condo, and they wanted a custom table that felt like a marker of their new success. Something simple, solid, and meaningful — a piece that would grow with them.

At the time, I had recently finished my apprenticeship at Lighthouse Woodworks, but I was still working full-time as a programmer. I agreed to take on the commission and built the table during nights and weekends — an early test of just how much I loved this craft. The design was understated but bold: a very dark walnut top, with solid, angled trestle legs that gave it presence and weight.

To really highlight my beginner status, I built the entire piece in my small upstairs workshop. Once finished, the only way out was down a tight, switchback staircase outside. My wife and I carried it slowly, one corner at a time, and that delivery became a kind of rite of passage. It was heavy, awkward, and more than a little risky — but we made it, and in the process, I saw firsthand what it takes to turn a passion into something real.

When we set it up in their condo, their reaction made everything worth it. They were thrilled — and even now, years later, they still tell me it’s the nicest piece of furniture they own. That feedback meant the world to me then, and still does. It wasn’t just about the quality of the table — it was about how much heart went into building it.

That single project sparked something bigger. Other friends noticed the table and started asking questions. Then people on social media saw it and reached out. Before long, weekend projects turned into steady orders — and eventually, a full-time business. This table wasn’t just my first commission. It was the beginning of New England Table Company.