How a Mosaic Table Is Born: Making a Checkerboard Table

A mosaic table is born from hundreds of small stones set patiently side by side. Here we follow one of our checkerboard tables from its first stone to the finished piece, step by step, with photos taken in the studio.

1. The pattern is set up on paper, then on the table

Every table starts with a drawing. In geometric patterns like a checkerboard the smallest shift shows, so we first lay out a single module, the square that will repeat, dry on the table. The balance of light and dark stones, the width of the border and how the corners turn are all decided here.

2. Stones are cut by hand

Ready-made square tiles form the body of the pattern, but a pattern on a round top cannot stay square near the edge. We cut the edge pieces one by one with mosaic nippers to follow the curve. That edge is where a handmade table differs most from a factory one.

3. The pattern grows from the centre out

Once the centre is set, the pattern opens out row by row. We keep stepping back to look at the whole, because a row that looks straight up close can look slightly curved from a metre away. Even gaps decide how clean the pattern will look once grouted.

4. Grout, cleaning and sealing

Once the adhesive has cured, the gaps are closed with grout. Grout colour changes the result surprisingly: light grout softens the pattern, dark grout sharpens the geometry. Excess is wiped off, the surface is polished and natural stone tops are sealed against stains.

5. The top meets its base

Finally the top is fixed to its base. For this table we chose an hourglass, woven-look metal base to soften the hard lines of the checkerboard. The base matters as much as the pattern: the same top can feel modern on slim metal legs or much warmer on a wooden base.

Same method, another pattern: the eight-pointed star

One of our favourite geometric motifs is the eight-pointed star familiar from Seljuk and Ottoman ornament. The work follows the same order, but the angles are harder, so almost every stone is cut individually.

If you have a pattern in mind for your home, browse our mosaic tables or write to us. We settle size, colours and pattern together and make your table from scratch.