Royal Oak commissioned by Harrods

Yorkshire Dales based cabinetmaking firm Royal Oak Furniture is putting the final touches to an impressive new table specially designed for Harrods.
The dramatic piece has an almost fantastical ancient appearance, and would not be out of place in the Hall of the Mountain King, with a deeply weathered finish featuring the grain distinctively in an amazing texture. The team at Royal Oak spent a long time experimenting on how to achieve the unique appearance of driftwood coupled with a serviceable finish for the Harrods brief.

Made of solid oak of pippy grade, the table will take about two weeks to make as the timber has to be carefully selected for such a characterful grain.  The table then has to be machined up, made by the cabinetmakers and put through several processes to achieve the required weathered effect before being finished with an invisible sealant. This means that the table has the appearance of raw untreated wood but will not stain if something is spilled on it.

The accompanying chairs are designed to be larger than standard dining chairs and feature the same weathered finish for the front legs.  They are upholstered in natural linen with a deeply padded seat and back for comfort .

Royal Oak was first accepted as a supplier to Harrods in 1994 and have continued to  receive special commission orders from them ever since, but the new table will be the first time they have had a floor display in the legendary Knightsbridge store since 2008.

Owner Paul Kent explains “The new Harrods buyer is someone we have worked successfully with in the past. She wanted a new product that is totally unique and knew we were the people to do the job. We were provided with a brief and worked to produce a sample product which her team came to the workshop to look at. They advised a few tweaks but essentially the prototype was right.

The process has taken several weeks of discussions and development, but now the floor stock order has been placed and the finished piece will be on display from early October.  The table will be priced at £4799, and the chairs at £849 each.

It’s fantastic to have a display back on Harrods floor.  Being featured in such a prestigious shop affirms that the quality of the furniture and service we provide is very high. Harrods is also a destination for most overseas as well as domestic tourists, so it provides us with a showcase to the world.”