Value vs. Cost

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Our customers understand the value of quality tables. They measure that value not as a cost, but as an investment. It’s an investment in the product they need and the design they want, sure. But it goes beyond that. It’s one that will provide a return over the entire life of the product.

Investing now in differences like Table Topics’ custom designs and durable Acralyte finish will save money over the life of the product. The costs of replacing, shipping and installing a product that doesn’t last as long are avoided. As are refinishing because of a finish marred by scratches, rings or fog.

When properly used and cared for, Table Topics products consistently outlast others.

The life expectancy of a Table Topics table is five to seven years. We’ve even documented cases of 10 or more years of life. The cheaper table is actually much more expensive in the long run. It’s easy to see the value, when comparing our products with those that typically last only two to three years. The value of extending the product’s life is what makes our products the most cost-effective in the industry.

After implementing a successful project with us, our customers come back again and again when new opportunities arise. They trust the craftsmanship, appreciate the service and attention to detail and understand the value of working with Table Topics.  We’d love to offer you that value, too. You can learn more about us here or start the conversation today and let’s get your project underway. It’s an investment you’ll be proud of for years to come.

Why Use Digital?

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With today’s trends toward natural materials, some may wonder why digital table top designs are so popular. Digitals offer many advantages, both in options for design and best use of resources. At Table Topics our expert design team will work with you to perfect your vision. Our expert production team will deliver the product you want to the specifications you need. Our outstanding products and processes will ensure the highest quality and long-lasting value.

 

Take a look at these five digital standouts:

Look through our catalog for even more examples and ideas. You can request a quote or contact  us today to start the conversation about your beautiful digital design. Let’s talk tables.

Seven Metallic Designs We Love

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Our unmatched craftsmanship, coupled with a variety of metals, colors and finishes, gives our clients seemingly endless options for creating designs with the look, theme and character they desire. The team of customer representatives, designers and craftsmen at Table Topics love to start with our client’s vision and dream. They design, engineer and build a product the client will love. Below are seven examples of metal projects we love.

  1. Silver mystic metal with a shell pattern and veneer accents.
  2. Silver mystic metal with a long wave pattern and solid mahogany frame.
  3. Mystic metal with holographic border elements and hand-painted accents.
  4. Mixed media with paper, veneer and paint.
  5. Charcoal satinwood with laser-cut mystic metal inlay.
  6. Rustic look using warm wood and distressed metal.
  7. Textured gold meteorite inset with stained maple frame.

Do you have an idea for a metal design that will work for you? We’d love to put that idea to work and create the tables you need and the look you’ll love. Contact us today to get the conversation started.

Marquetry: It’s All About the Details

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At Table Topics, we love the details. We are excited to imagine them, trained to confirm them and equipped to deliver them. If you want to add a little something extra to your table, trim or unique design elements, we will bring it to life.

The technique of veneered marquetry was inspired by practices in 16th-century Florence and at Naples. In marquetry, inlaid patterns made from small pieces of variously colored wood or other materials is used for the decoration of furniture, forming decorative patterns, designs or pictures. In modern craftsmanship, marquetry commonly used time-consuming, knife-cut veneers. Today, many producers have switched to fret or scroll saw techniques and even laser cutting.

Table Topics offers a large selection of marquetry trim options – available in both real veneer and digital options – and can even offer custom colors in our digital designs. Look through our designs, such as this digital raffia and fabric look,  or check out these images of marquetry trim options.

If you have a custom design in mind, get started by going over our specification guide or by contacting us directly. With your design specs and some general detail about your project, we can get the conversation started and the process underway. The result will be an amazing, durable product, second to none, that will set your project and your space apart.

Making a Statement

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If you need a table that will stand out as well as stand up, and will be memorable as well as durable, we can help. We love making our clients’ vision a reality. Take a look at the outstanding, original designs Table Topics has created for clients with very specific needs.

  1. Play it Again – Piano-shaped table with painted keys and custom turned legs. Digital image with gloss Acralyte finish.
  2. Instrumental – Digital wood-grain instruments to edge. Solid wood frame with corner legs through the top and instrument-shaped stretcher. Digital image with satin Acralyte finish.
  3. Catch a Wave – Surfboard-shaped mahogany veneer with teak veneer inlay. Solid mahogany edges and wave pattern bases. Veneer with satin Acralyte finish.
  4. Batter Up – Custom client-supplied images on solid maple frame for sports bar. Digital image with satin Acralyte finish.
  5. Beach It – Sand, shells and driftwood using beach sand and custom-shaped ash inlays. Satin Acralyte finish.

We are committed to producing your vision for custom commercial dining tables, so everything starts with a conversation about your needs, wants and budget. Every question and every request is a welcome challenge for our full-time design team.

Contact us today or use our online quote request form today. Let’s talk tables.

Who We Are

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At Table Topics, we realize our business is a bit of an anomaly in some ways. Since we’ve been making high-quality custom table tops for clients throughout the country and around the world since 1980, you might expect to find us in corporate offices in some metropolitan center. That’s not the case. Since our 36-year-old business is guided by precision manufacturing methods and proprietary processes, you might assume our designs can’t be uniquely customized for you. Not true. Here’s the real story:

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We chose to locate our operations in Elberta, Alabama because we love it here. We work with top designers around the world and quite frankly, because of our commitment to quality customer service, it makes no difference to them where we are! So we’re where we want to be, doing what we want to do. That includes having a customer support network throughout the United States, working hand in hand with those customers to design and deliver the highest quality products in the industry.

 

We work almost exclusively with the hospitality industry, where our tables have become the standard for custom designs and lasting quality. We listen to customers’ needs and help them solve problems. We explore their vision. Then we deliver a product that fulfills that vision. Individual service, custom design and quality craftsmanship result in a unique product every time.

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Our manufacturing process combines the best raw materials, the most skilled individuals and a fierce attention to detail. Solid wood and veneer tables remain popular choices. Our amazing variety of options includes rosewood, maple, walnut, bamboo, oak, cherry, mahogany, zebrawood and more. We also have graphic table top options, allowing the printing of illustrations and translucent images on your choice of wood veneers or other finishes. This table top option is expanding in options and in popularity. Our specialized Acralyte finish is known for beauty and durability.

 

This year we’ll build more than 20,000 tables and, with the continued support of a loyal customer base, we expect that number to grow next year and beyond. We hope you’ll be a part of our growth. While we may be a company of anomalies, there are two things you can count on to be exactly as you expect: individual service and quality products.

Contact us today to start a conversation about your table top needs.

The Acralyte Finish – Durabilty with Design in Mind

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Table Topics has built a reputation for outstanding designs and quality craftsmanship. While these striking elements are crucial to the appeal of your tables, there’s one more reason you’ll want to invest in our products. Our most significant design element is Acralyte, our proprietary finish. More than a coating, Acralyte is a process. It’s a process we’ve honed through years of research with clients and engineers around the world to address the wide variety of needs our clients have and to offer them lasting value.

 

The materials, the processes, the monitoring and the commitment are all unique to the Table Topics production philosophy. The result is a product with excellent chemical, scratch and heat resistance. Acralyte consistently outperforms epoxy, polyurethane and varnish finishes. Clients find that, while beautiful upon delivery, it’s the performance of our tables months and years down the road that truly sets them apart in terms of durability and, ultimately, value.

 

Because it’s impervious to cleaning chemicals and alcohol, an Acralyte finish doesn’t get gummy. It’s engineered to achieve greater scratch, mar, chemical and heat resistance than traditional finishes. Even under the demands of the hospitality industry, our tables consistently stand the test of time. The result is a longer product life and less time, effort and cost to you and your clients in repairs and replacement.

 

As with all elements of our process, we will customize your Acralyte finish. Our full-filled Acralyte finish results in a thick resin look and is available in matte, satin and gloss. Our thin, Acralyte Lite finish looks gorgeous on solid woods and veneers; it is available in satin or matte.

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Since 1980, Table Topics has offered quality, custom products designed for the individual needs of our clients. Acralyte has become a mainstay in that process and it’s one of the elements that sets Table Topics apart. A superb finish, unmatched in quality and durability, you’ll only get Acralyte here. Our design team  is ready to talk about how we can work with you to get the look and finish you and your customers will enjoy for years to come.

Red Elm Tabletop

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A sleek, sophisticated tabletop composed of exotic red elm.
This table would add class to any fine dining restaurant, wine or martini bar and is simple enough for an upscale Asian themed bistro. It is protected by our Satin Acralyte Finish.

Digital Marquetry

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Digital Marquetry, What a great idea!
Design custom table trim that will set your project apart from the mundane. Unique tables that show your client you can think outside the proverbial box. We have a variety of standard trims, but custom marquetry designs can be created to satisfy your need for distinctive tabletops. This top has a diamond boxed ash inset with a solid maple bullnoes frame. The trim is a 1″ graphic trim called Zoom.
Have some fun, create your own digital marquetry.

Acid Washed Rustic Table

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A great table for a western themed restaurant, a barbecue restaurant, or any venue that requires a rustic tabletop. This acid-washed, galvanized steel, table inset with a ash bullnose frame is perfect for anything from a country & western bar to an Aspen ski lodge. The amount of acid washing as well as the amount of rust can be varied to suit the design needs of your decor. Everything is protected with our Acralyte finish. This one is satin, but this rustic table would look great with a matte Acralyte finish.

White Ash Burl

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Above is a sophisticated new table crafted from white ash burl veneer and solid ash. This elegant tabletop would be appropriate for any place from a Country Club to an upscale Pub to a Fine Dining Restaurant. The full-filled grain, Acralyte finish, with it’s hand-rubbed, satin sheen is both durable and beautiful. Making this the perfect table for any customer looking for a distinctive design.

Rosewood Veneer

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Rosewood is an elegant species of exotic wood. With it’s deep, rich, warm tones Rosewood tables are suitable for anything from a fine dining restaurant to a country club or even a martini bar. The tables pictured above show some of the variety of grain that can be expected with Rosewood and many other species of wood. We can create sleek regular shaped tables or sophisticated asymetrical designs. We combined both on this job.