John LewisTrestle 6 Seater Dining Table

Trestle is a dining table with a difference. Its striking design and smooth, curved form is evident at first glance, but under the surface it’s been CREATED FOR REAL LIFE to maximise the space available in your dining area. We caught up with designer Daniel Rawlings, who talked us through his thoughts:

'Trestle was a reaction to open-plan living. The overall concept is centred around visual lightness — you can see that in the spindle trestles supporting the tabletop, which are inspired by the craftsmanship of Japanese lattice screening. They divide the space and the slatted design means they even let light through under the table, so your tabletop doesn't become this pool of shadow in the corner of the room.'

The tabletop itself provides enough room for six people to eat day-to-day, and the lozenge shape means that you can reconfigure for eight people, which can be trickier with the corners of a rectangular table.

Speaking of maximising room space, you can manoeuvre around the table edges with no trouble even if you've put it in the corner of a room, without the awkward shuffle required to get around the groin-height corner of a squared tabletop. Daniel told us that the term for this, in case you want to impress your friends, is circulation: ‘How easily people can circulate the room without obstruction. It’s not something you always consciously notice, but you certainly notice when it's not there.'

The legs are at both of the rounded ends, formed of spindle rods in a concave semi-circular arrangement. This semi-circular arrangement is a solid support for the tabletop, and a person can comfortably sit with their legs in either of these hollows. The overall leg design means no horizontal or diagonal support bars — no risk of shin bashing here.

We've used a combination of solid oak and oak veneers here, for a sturdy build and hardwearing finish, with a protective lacquered coating that highlights the natural colours and tones of the wood.

Try before you buy
We're confident in our furniture's quality, but it's always a good idea to check that it's a good personal fit for you. We can't display all of our pieces in all of our stores — they just won't fit — but call us on 03452 661805 and we can help you find a nearby location to see, sit or even lie on it before ordering.