Stoneline Designs Conference Table Blog

"All I can say is that I am blown away.  Absolutely the most beautiful office furniture that I have ever seen and I am tremendously proud to own it.   Please share my thanks to all that had a hand in the design, construction and shipping for a job well done - something that each of your employees can be proud of as well.  I'll be looking for excuses to buy more!!"

        -Mark R.

Thank you so much for the kind words, Mark.  It was our pleasure!

I found a great site today that gives several examples of different ways to set up a meeting or conference room.  

Three of the styles that I liked are:

Boardroom Style

This is the classic style that most are familiar with.  A large oval or rectangular table is surrounded by chairs on both sides and ends. Most Board of Director meetings, and committee meetings use this style.  This set up promotes interaction during the meeting.  Stoneline Designs boat shaped conference tables are slightly rounded on the longer sides to provide a better line of sight between the conference attendees. 

U Shape

A grouping of conference tables are set up in a U shape. The chairs are placed on the outside.  This style is good for discussion groups, committee meetings and  audio-video presentations.  Make sure there is a minimum of 24" of space per person.

Hollow Design

Several tables are arranged in a square or rectangle with a center opening.  The chairs are place around the outside of the tables.  This set up is good for large meetings, especially if a larger table is not available.  When set up as a square, this layout provides good visual lines for each person in attendance. 

Of course, we believe the best way to seat a large group is by using one of  Stoneline's many large conference tables.  We custom build large conference tables in sizes from 7' to 30' and beyond!

Before shipping a custom designed table, our artisans assemble the table and make any adjustments necessary to make sure all the parts fit together perfectly.

For this oval conference table with brushed steel base and granite top, the process took artisans Rob, Bart, Mace and Brian almost three hours. Now watch it happen in thirty seconds! Press "play" to begin the slide show:

Granite is a very hard and durable stone, making it a popular choice for home and office. Stoneline Designs offers Absolute Black Granite in two finishes, Polished and Honed. Today we'll look at the Polished finish.

Polished Absolute Black Granite is a glossy finish which leaves the stone surface impervious to liquids and resistant to scratching. It is an excellent choice for high use applications like a family dinner table or kitchen countertops, and also attractive as a formal dining table, conference table or occasional table.

No maintenance is required for a Polished granite table top. To clean the table top, simply wipe off with a sponge and water. Dish soap or window cleaner can also be used when necessary.

Stoneline Designs' Absolute Black Granite is a deep black stone from Zimbabwe with no veining and consistent coloring. A 1" sandblasted border and edge detail is standard on all our granite table tops. Standard granite width is 3/4" thick. Stoneline produces granite table tops in any size up to 66x116". (72" width and 120" length as available.) Larger table tops are built in multiple sections, up to 30 feet long.

Are you purchasing a credenza for your office or home office? Here are a few questions to consider in designing your credenza:

What height should the credenza be? If you intend to use the credenza as a work surface, it should be the same height as your desk (typically 29" high, but measure your desk to be sure). If not, we recommend a height of 34" for credenzas. This breaks up the static height of the tables, and makes the room design more interesting than if all desks and tables were the same height.

How will the credenza be used? There are many storage options including shelves, drawers and lateral files. The options you choose will depend on what will be stored in your credenza.

Will there be electronics inside your credenza? Be sure to measure the components and make sure they will fit inside. You may need special options for the credenza like wiring access or ventilation in the rear panel.

Ventilation is often overlooked when designing a credenza, but it is critically important. Electronic equipment outputs a surprising amount of heat. In an enclosed space the heat can build up to such a level that it can crash or even permanently damage your electronics. Proper ventilation will ensure that eletronic components stored inside your credenza do not overheat.

The simplest form of ventilation is air holes or vents cut into the back panel. Your furniture designer will work with you to make sure the vents are correctly placed to provide airflow to your electronics. If the credenza will contain many components with high power output, simple air vents may not be enough and you may need to have fans installed in the back of the credenza. Either way, make sure to leave a gap of at least a couple of inches between the credenza and the wall; if the back is pressed up against the wall this will block airflow and defeat the purpose of venting.

Once a new conference table is installed, the last thing anyone wants to think about is moving it again. And most conference tables are very rarely moved. But eventually circumstances may require it: a few years down the line you may remodel your office, or relocate to a new office. Follow these steps to protect your conference table when you move it.

Many Hands Make Light Work. Make sure to have adequate staff on hand to move your table. A large glass table top is surprisingly heavy, and a granite table top is even heavier. One slip by a mover straining under too heavy a load, and your table top might end up with a chip or crack and need to be replaced.
This is especially important if your table top has a finish like frosted glass or our "Scratched" glass, as the movers should take care not to leave smudges on the textured surface of the glass. This is hard for them to do if they are carrying too much weight and are using all their energy not to drop the table.

Padded Blankets Are Your Friend. If the conference table will be moved more than a few feet, or will be turned on its side (to go through a doorway or around a corner), use padded blankets to protect the edges. If the top separates from the base and you need to lean the top against a wall while moving the base, lay padded blankets on the floor before setting the top down.

To Disassemble or Not to Disassemble. Did the table require assembly when it was originally installed? If the table is moving just a few feet within the same room, and you have enough people to lift all the pedestals in unison, you can probably get away with moving it in one piece. If the top is separate you should remove it, move the pedestals, and then replace the top. Do not pull or drag a heavy conference table across the floor.
If the table is moving to another room, or is so large you do not have enough people to move all the pedestals at once, you'll have to disassemble the table and reassemble it in its new location. Be sure to save all hardware in plastic bags, and clearly label all parts as you disassemble the table.

Read the Functional Manual. Use the assembly instructions that came with the table (you did save them, didn't you?) to ensure correct disassembly and re-assembly. If you no longer have the assembly instructions, contact the manufacturer for a new set of instructions. Provide them with a copy of your original invoice or packing list so they know exactly what table you need instructions for.

Caveat Emptor. If you are hiring movers/installers to move your conference table, make sure their rates and policies are clearly explained. Will they crate the table, or move it as is? What is their responsibility if the table is damaged while in their hands?

Cold Storage. Due to scheduling conflicts you may need to remove your table from its old location before the new location is ready. If you do not have space where the table can be stored, ask your moving company how much they would charge to store it for you. For long-term storage you may wish to rent a storage unit. Or you might even contact the original manufacturer and ask if they can store it, although this will probably require freight to and from their location.

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Buying custom office furniture online doesn't have to be a mystery. The key is to build trust with your supplier. Here are a few questions to ask:

Where is the company located? Can you reach them by phone? You want to be able to pick up the phone and speak to a real person about your order, especially if the furniture will be made to order. Think twice about sending money to a furniture company if you cannot determine from their website where the business is located, or how to get in touch with a live person. A reputable business will not hide this information.

Do they make the furniture themselves? If not, where is it manufactured? Hand-built furniture is an investment and you want to know exactly what you are getting.

Are technical drawings available? Just as you would bring measurements of your room to a furniture store, when buying online you want to be absolutely sure the furniture will fit your space. Diagrams with precise measurements are essential, especially for a large piece. When buying a piece with electrical wiring, such as a conference table, many clients opt to have the installer or electrician come in advance to measure the space and compare with the diagrams.

Are material samples available? If you are concerned about whether your new table will look the same in your dining room as it does in the photo on the website, samples of the actual materials can be very helpful. Note that samples of heavy materials such as granite or metal can be expensive to produce and ship. Many furniture companies require potential customers to purchase samples. This charge is usually deducted from your furniture order.

What are their payment terms? Does the price include freight? Be sure your quote itemizes all charges, and clearly indicates any charges which are not included such as freight. (Freight charges are often based on weight and sometimes cannot be calculated until the size and design of the piece is determined.)

Do they have a showroom open to the public? If not, can you visit their facility? Having a public showroom is not a necessity. After all, the benefit of online sales is to connect with customers all over the country and the world, who wouldn't be able to visit a showroom in a city far away. If there is no showroom, the company should be agreeable to you visiting their factory/facility, distance permitting. On a factory tour you should get to meet the artisans and see the furniture being made -- maybe even your own piece.

Can you see examples of their work in your area? If they have no showroom and you cannot travel to their facility, ask if there are examples of previous sales in your area which you can view. An established business often has a history of happy customers who are willing to let others visit on-site and see the furniture. Of course this will largely depend on your location: if you live in a major metropolitan area this is a much more likely option. An added benefit to visiting a past client is getting to speak with them about their experience working with the furniture company.

Your conference table top can be built in a single piece, or in multiple sections. The decision is based on several factors:

Table size: Stoneline Designs builds conference tables up to 30 feet long. However, 10' is the maximum size top (116" for shaped glass) that we can fabricate and ship in one piece. A conference table top larger than 10' must be in multiple pieces.

Access: If a 10' table top will be made in one piece, all access points must be carefully measured: doorways, elevator, stairwell, tight corners, etc. Remember that the top will be a few inches longer when crated. If any access point is not large enough, the top should be made in multiple pieces.

Design: A single piece top has a smooth, professional appearance. On the other hand, we incorporate the breaks in a multiple piece top into the design for a sophisticated look. Some tables even have different finishes or materials for different sections of the top. Either approach makes an attractive table, depending on the look you are going for in your conference room.

Power/Wiring: A round wiring grommet can be installed in any conference table top, whether single or multiple pieces. A wiring trough runs along the center of the table, and requires the top to be built in multiple sections.

Seating: We plan the break between top sections to fall between chairs, for more comfortable seating. For example, a 10' table will typically seat 10: 4 along each side and 1 on each end. We would divide a 10' top into 2- 5' sections so that the break occurs between the 2 center chairs. A 12.5' table could be made in 2 or 3 sections, depending on whether the table would seat 4 or 5 on each side. We use this same principle for dividing larger tops as well. With careful planning a conference table can be designed so that no chair is placed in front of a pedestal or break in the top, even up to 30' long.

Metal is a hard, durable material, and furniture made of metal typically requires far less maintenance than wood. Use these tips to get the most from your metal furniture.

Brushed Steel
Brushed Steel leg plates are finished with a Hand rubbed Oil finish and sealed with a Clear Satin Conversion Varnish finish. With normal use the finish and sealer should never need to be reapplied. Brushed Steel is subject to corrosion, therefore we do not recommend outdoor use in coastal areas, or exposure to rain. 

During processing at the mill, molten Steel is passed through rollers to flatten & shape the bar of Steel into a 1/2" inch thick plate. The rollers leave unpredictable character on the Steel surface, often in a linear pattern. We rub over and highlight this character with our regimented scratching, but each leg plate will retain the underlying character from the hot rolling process. The bottom of leg plates have a Cork barrier applied to protect floors. Stoneline uses Brushed Steel in the Axis and Radian table lines.

Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel panels are systematically brushed with a horizontal line pattern. As stainless Steel does not oxidize, no finish is necessary. However, both the Quadrant and Crescent table lines, which use Stainless Steel, also include wooden components. So we do not recommend locating these tables where they will be exposed to rain.

Aluminum
A cross-hatch pattern is hand scratched into the surface of 5/8" Aluminum plate. The scratch finish is on the pedestal part of the Vector table only. Solid Aluminum crossbars have a brushed texture and a Clear Satin Conversion Varnish finish. With normal use, the finish should never need to be reapplied. Aluminum is subject to corrosion from water, though not to the same degree as Brushed Steel. Therefore we do not recommend outdoor use in coastal areas, or exposure to rain. Stoneline uses Aluminum in the Vector table line.

We hope you have never had the sinking feeling of looking at your glass conference table or glass dining table and discovering a chip in the edge or scratch in the surface. Unfortunately, once a chip or scratch has occurred, there's usually no way to repair it. In most cases your options are to conceal the scratch or replace the glass.

That's why it's important to protect your glass table and avoid chips or scratches in the first place. For the most part, this is simply common sense. Avoid roughhousing near the table, or dropping heavy or sharp objects on the glass top. If you have small children in your home, consider padding the edges of the table with foam. This will protect both the table and your children! You can always remove the padding when you have guests.

If you have to move a large object on the glass top, for instance a laser printer or desktop computer sitting on a glass desk, lift and carry it rather than dragging or pushing it across the surface. If this is impossible -- for example it is a home office, you live alone and it's just too darn heavy -- place the heavy object on a sturdy cloth and pull the cloth. Never allow a heavy or sharp object to scrape across the surface of the glass.

If you have objects with sharp edges which you need to place on your glass table, place them on a cloth rather than directly on the glass. If this happens often, for instance a family dining table where you do kitchen prep work or set kitchen tools, make sure there is always a cloth or pad on the table. You can use a table runner or placemats to incorporate the protective cloth into your room decor.

Your chair selection matters as well. Metal backed chairs can easily chip the edge of a glass table top if they are not properly padded. Before you buy those sophisticated metal chairs to go with your glass table, imagine a rushed conference where people jump up from the table and push their chairs out of the way in a hurry. Or imagine tripping in your dining room and shoving a chair back against the edge of the table. Make sure all parts of the chair which come in contact with the table top are padded. (Any other metal furniture that moves -- a wheeled coffee stand or file cart, etc -- should also be padded or kept well away from the edge of a glass table.)

The steps above will go a long way towards protecting your glass table. If you do end up with a minor chip or scratch in your table, you can sometimes turn or move the table so the light does not catch the scratch and it isn't as noticeable. If the damage is too severe for that, well, there's always strategically placed coasters and potted plants.