Adelaide 1 - Tusmore
Commissioned in 2025 for a private family residence in Adelaide, the Tusmore Dining Table was designed in response to an already-completed interior defined by warmth, natural light, and a restrained material palette; American oak flooring, American white ash joinery, a striking natural stone kitchen, exposed brickwork, and a dramatic double-height pitched ceiling. The challenge was to create a table that felt entirely at home within that setting, while still contributing its own sculptural presence.
Having seen previous works, including the Potts Point and Yarra Valley dining tables, the clients encouraged an evolution of that emerging design language, offering the freedom to push the sculptural forms and proportions developed through those projects further still. Solid American white ash was selected to respond directly to the surrounding joinery.
During the design process, the clients travelled from Adelaide to visit the workshop, where several works in progress were on show alongside the first evolution of the chosen leg style.
To help them live with the design before it was finished, a 1:1 template of the tabletop was shipped to Adelaide and placed in their dining room as a way to get a feel for the shape and adjust the proportions if needed. Once the table was complete, the clients returned to Melbourne a second time, purely to see the finished piece in person.
The table features a series of substantial sculptural legs, each defined by flowing radii that transition seamlessly into one another, creating a sense of movement beneath the tabletop. The legs are positioned centrally, maximising seating flexibility while reinforcing the table's architectural presence.
The finish is intentionally understated; a warm, natural clear coating that celebrates the pale character and subtle grain of the ash. The choice carries added weight today: North American ash forests continue to face widespread devastation from the emerald ash borer, making responsibly sourced ash an increasingly rare material, and this piece, by extension, a quiet record of it.
