Heart Table

When Ava found the slab of wood at the salvage yard, it was cracked, weathered, and forgotten. But there, in the grain, she saw it — a faint, natural heart shape hidden in the center. Most would've passed it by. She brought it home.

Days turned into nights in her garage studio. She sanded carefully, working around the knot and cracks, letting the heart remain untouched. She carved legs from old barn beams and fit them to the top like they’d always belonged. Then she finished it with beeswax, bringing out the warmth in the wood like a quiet fire.

The heart sat at the center — not too perfect, not too obvious. Just enough to be found.

She placed it by her reading chair and set a lamp on it. But it didn’t stay there long. Friends noticed. Then strangers. Soon, she was making more.

Each one different. But every table carried a heart — whether in the wood, the story, or the hands that made it.

(Made by Don Krug for our Employee Build Challenge)

Finish: Tung Oil