Grey Side Table in Carved Teak - Two Drawers with Rose Garland Carving

Finishing a carved piece in one colour is the hardest brief you can give a carver, and it is decided long before any paint is opened.

Ornament is read through contrast. Gilding or a highlight supplies that contrast directly - the raised edges are a different colour from the ground, and the eye separates them instantly. Take the colour difference away and the only contrast left is shadow, which means the carving has to generate all of it by itself.

So a piece destined for a single tone is carved differently from one destined for gold. The relief is worked deeper. The undercuts are taken further, so each element casts a hard edge rather than a soft gradient. Fine detail that would sparkle under a highlight is removed altogether, because in one colour it reads as texture rather than as form.

The garlands on this table are a good example. Each rose is undercut around most of its circumference so it stands clear of the ground behind it, and the leaves between them are cut at steeper angles than they would be on a gilded piece - both decisions made at the bench, months before the grey went on.

Our carvers are told the finish before they begin. It is the only way a monochrome piece ends up looking carved rather than moulded.

Material: Solid teak throughout - case, both drawer boxes and shaped fronts, top, legs and carved ornament. No veneer over engineered board.

Construction: Carving worked deeper and undercut further for a single-tone finish, large oval cartouche spanning the base of the lower drawer, rose garlands to both drawers, tall cabriole legs with carved rose knees and scrolled toes, serpentine moulded top.

Storage: Two drawers. Counts, depths and internal fittings are configurable.

Finish: Soft grey throughout with no highlighting, as photographed. Any single tone can be specified, or highlighting and gilding added.

Dimensions: Custom sizes made to order - final measurements confirmed in writing before production.

Available: Singly or as a matched pair.

Made: Handcrafted Indian luxury, produced to order by master Indian artisans.

Deeply undercut carving is the most fragile kind, because each element stands clear of the ground behind it with nothing supporting its edges. Foam is shaped to bridge over every carved area on this table - the cartouche, both garland runs, the shell - bearing on the flat surfaces between them and never onto a rose or a leaf tip.

The case is wrapped in a soft non-abrasive layer laid straight onto the grey finish, applied without tension so it cannot burnish a matt single tone at any contact point.

The tall legs stand outside the footprint of the case and meet doorframes first, so each is sleeved individually along its full sweep with a rigid guard over the scrolled toe and extra padding at the carved knee.

Both drawers are removed or secured shut so nothing can run out and strike the carving.

The table then goes into a rigid outer carton braced internally. Ordered as a pair, each is crated separately. Dent-free arrival is guaranteed.

Free delivery is included anywhere in India, with no distance surcharge and nothing added at the end. Metros, tier-two cities and smaller towns are served on the same terms, and a pair ships on the same free terms as a single table.

Production begins once your dimensions, drawer layout, carving depth and finish are confirmed in writing. The finish has to be settled before carving starts on this design, because a single tone is carved differently from a gilded one - so that decision is taken with you at the outset. We give you an honest timeline then and keep you updated as it progresses.

We dispatch through carriers experienced with carved furniture, and send tracking details as soon as it leaves us.

On arrival our team brings the table in, positions it, checks it stands true and that the drawers run cleanly, and removes all packaging. Dent-free arrival is guaranteed - if anything is not right, tell us and we will resolve it.

The solid teak frame and joinery carry a 20-year warranty - the case, both drawer boxes and their shaped fronts, the carved ornament and every leg joint.

Deeper undercutting is what makes a monochrome piece read, and it also removes more timber - so the stock for this design is selected and sized for the carving that will go into it before anything is cut. That is why ornament worked this deeply is inside the warranty rather than an exception to it.

The tall cabriole legs stand clear of the carcass, which means every sideways knock arrives at the leg joint as leverage. Each is carved from solid teak with the curve following the grain, and the carved rose cluster at each knee adds section exactly where the leg meets the case.

The teak carries a lifetime warranty against termite damage for as long as you own the piece, from the oils in the timber rather than the paint over them.

If anything covered needs attention, send us your order details and photographs and our artisans will handle the repair or replacement.