This granite will be used as part of a multiple piece conference table top, held together with a T-bar in between each piece of granite. Mace stops frequently and measures the bevel against the T-bar, to make sure the edge of the bevel and the edge of the T-bar line up perfectly. This takes time, but ensures a perfect fit and seamless appearance to the finished conference table.
- Round conference tables encourage free discussion and discourage leadership. Round tables are therefore bad for an unruly group, or for a conference requiring strict organizational rules.
- Long, thin conference tables (such as formed by stringing together several small tables) encourage cliques and discourage unity, by making it hard for the people at one end of the table to see the people at the other end.
- U-shaped tables encourage hostility by placing attendees so far apart that they do not feel a connection with each other. The U-shape also encourages the attendees to ignore the leader because they are not looking directly at him/her.
Political satire has a long tradition of both reflecting and shaping public opinion. In this Swiss WWI-era cartoon titled "At the Peace Conference," the nations of France, England, the US, Belgium and Italy sit around the conference table smoking pipes together, with a PAX statue in the center of the table. The conference table is supported by a platform of bombs and powder kegs, labeled "World Revolution." 
The furniture arrived yesterday. It is unbelievable, and completely exceeded my expectations. I am a very details oriented person, and Monte's attention to details and use of quality materials is unlike anything I've ever seen. Things like matching covers over screw holes, routed indentations so the center outlet cup doesn't hang up on screw holes, grommeted cord pass-throughs and vents in the credenza, routed finger pulls, set screws in the power cups to perfectly adjust their height, soft felt backing on the back of the outlet cup covers so they don't scratch the glass, and so on. The weight and quality of the materials also deserves note. The 3/4" scratched glass is beautiful. The steel box tubing and 1/4" steel pipe used for the outlet cups is substantial. The stuff is weighty, beautiful, and functional. I purchase a lot of high-end "designer" furniture, but none of it compares to this. I literally stumbled across Stoneline Designs doing a web search for a conference table, and I couldn't be more satisfied with my decision to use you guys. In a world of poorly designed, mass-produced, cheaply constructed furniture, you guys stand alone in my opinion. Cutting edge contemporary designs crafted with true artisan hand-made craftsmanship. Rock on Stoneline.
--Thanks, Don
Bass & Company Management Consultants
Check out Leave It At the Reception Desk, a new site that highlights reception desk design. The site is focused on the UK, though they cover the US and other countries as well. 
A conference table is a major purchase. Many businesses are understandably leery of buying online, sight unseen. At Stoneline we create a personal relationship with all our customers to make the process go more smoothly. Before we can even quote your conference table, we talk with you to learn what you need from your table and how you will be using it. I am pleased to report that the table arrived on Friday with no issues. The guys could not have been more amicable and it was obvious that Brian takes great pride in your pieces. We are THRILLED with the table. It is so beautiful and the craftsmanship is stunning! Thank you for all of your assistance through the process. It was smooth and easy and the end result exceeds our expectations.
Hi Monte/Diana, I just wanted to let you know how beautiful your furniture looks in the winery's conference room. The design coupled with the sea foam scratched glass are perfect compliments to the interior. Many thanks for a job well done!
It was such a pleasure working with Diana, Monte and Sarah at Stoneline Designs. My inquiries were consistently answered almost instantly, completely and with a sincere, personal touch. There sure aren't many companies you can call and have someone recognize your name instantly!
It was so helpful before ordering to talk to Monte personally about the use and abuse his own dining table has taken over the years and how it has weathered the storm. Most reassuring.
The table arrived exactly when you told me it would and I couldn't be happier. The design is both beautiful and functional. I can sit under the support metal bar and cross my legs easily - even without the pedestal getting in the way. The quality of the workmanship is unsurpassed.
I admit I was nervous about ordering something that expensive over the internet, but I can only reassure anyone with the same concern that they have nothing to worry about. Thanks so much to all of you!
Stoneline Designs recently completed this glass conference table for DuMOL Wines. DuMOL, an estate vineyard in California's Russian River Valley, wanted a distinctive table for their conference room. We custom designed a table in our Crescent line, with our patterned scratched glass finish for the top and integrated wiring. The wiring is concealed under round grommets for a seamless appearance when the table is not in use.
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.
Man walks on the moon and conference tables are there! Well, not really. But conference tables were still involved. Here is a photo of the Apollo 10 crew briefing the Apollo 11 crew before the first moon landing. Left to right around the table: Michael Collins,* Buzz Aldrin, Gene Cernan, Tom Stafford, Neil Armstrong, John Young.
*Remember the name Michael Collins, the only member of Apollo 11 who did not walk on the moon. He stayed in orbit in the space ship, alone, while Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the lunar surface. Poor guy!
Stoneline Designs completed this glass conference table for a professional workplace environment firm in Raleigh, North Carolina. The table, from our Crescent line, seats 14 and includes a wiring trough running down the center of the table to provide power and net access for laptops. A sliding cover conceals the wiring when not in use. Our "Patterned Scratched" Glass finish complements the open, spacious feel of the conference room.
The Group of Eight (G8) Nations gather around the conference table: Stephen Harper of Canada, Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Angela Merkel of Germany, Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Taro Aso of Japan, Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Gordon Brown of the UK and Barack Obama of the USA. 35th annual G8 conference, July 2009, Italy.
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.
On July 4, 1776, at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, the Founding Fathers gathered around the table to sign the Declaration of Independence, marking the official start of the Revolutionary War. The most important event of our nation's history and a conference table was there!
July 2009 marks Stoneline Designs' 21st year in business! Since 1988 we have been proud to offer high end custom office furniture and residential furniture.
President Monte McDermed founded Stoneline in 1988. When the company began we made primarily residential furniture -- dining tables, coffee tables and console tables -- with stone and glass tops. In 1989 we moved to our current location, a hundred-year-old former textile mill in historic Hillsborough North Carolina. In that year we also added our first employees, one of whom still works with Stoneline today.
During the past twenty-one years we have expanded our focus to include office furniture -- conference tables, desks, credenzas and reception desks -- as well as additional pieces for the home like bookshelves, media cabinets, dressers and beds. Today Stoneline includes seven full-time employees and two part-time support staff. We have grown over the years, but the care and attention to detail we bring to our furniture will never change. Our furniture is built by highly skilled artisans, and each piece is still designed by founder Monte McDermed.
So raise a glass to Stoneline on our twenty-first birthday! We're old enough now to have a drink :)
Stoneline Designs recently completed this glass conference table for a high-tech professional services firm in the Washington DC area. The client required a table large enough to seat 12, with a sophisticated look. They chose our Crescent line of conference tables with a "scratched" glass top.
As more and more homeowners create "outdoor room environments," placing a granite table outside seems like a natural. After all, granite is a durable material, and granite monuments can remain outdoors for hundreds of years. A granite dining table or cocktail table can add the perfect touch to an outdoor living space. There are a few factors to consider before purchasing a granite table for outdoor use:
What is the granite finish? Polished granite is a hard finish which can withstand exposure to the elements. On the other hand, honed granite is much more porous and more likely to stain. Honed granite is not recommended for outdoor use.
Will the granite table be exposed to sunlight? Many granites are treated with a resin to smooth out the surface. This resin is invisible, and as durable as the stone under normal conditions. However, under constant exposure to sunlight the resin will discolor and will eventually create a yellow cast in the granite. Because of this, we do not recommend granite in a location where it will be exposed to full sun.
How much maintenance are you willing to do? Polished granite typically requires almost no maintenance. However, when used outdoors you may choose to seal the granite for additional protection. In addition, if you place your dining table or cocktail table in a shady location to reduce sun exposure, you may find yourself frequently cleaning up pollen, tree sap, bird droppings, etc.
Can the table base be used outside? Be sure that your table base is designed for outdoor use. Direct exposure to the elements as well as the increased humidity outdoors can be a problem. Some metals are more rust-resistant than others; make sure you know all the materials your table is constructed from before placing it outdoors.
Of course all of the factors above depend on your local climate. If you live in an arid region like the Southwest, you will have much more leeway in placing a granite table outdoors. If you live on the coast, salt in the air will be yet another issue.
We custom designed this office furniture suite for a modern home office. The writing desk, credenza and hutch, all from the Axis line, feature brushed steel and dark wenge stained wood which looks good against the brick wall and hardwood floor. Our patterned "Scratched" glass finish adds a modern flair.
The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, officially ended the Revolutionary War. This painting by Benjamin West depicts American delegates John Jay, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Henry Laurens and William Temple Franklin. The painting is unfinished because the British delegation refused to pose.
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