How to Create a Customised Wrought Iron Table

Here’s how to create a customised wrought iron table with an individually designed mosaic top, perfect for a Mediterranean inspired dining room or patio.

The Base

To create your individual, customised wrought iron table, you’ll firstly need a base. Some retailers offer the option of purchasing just the wrought iron frame or base without the table top. Try to contact a company who actually manufactures wrought iron furniture, or offers bespoke furniture, as you’re more likely to be able to customise your order. Many wrought iron tables have glass tops which are no good for customising.

You can create your own top to customise but securing it could be difficult. The best solution is to find a retailer of steel tables with a wrought iron-like design or appearance. This is because; these will have sheet metal table tops which are perfect to put your own individual stamp on. Plus they’re strong, sturdy and durable. You can also buy concrete backing board from a local DIY store. It's cheap and can be cut and broken to size by scoring with a Stanley knife.

Tiles

To create your design for the wrought iron table top you’ll tiles, these can be clay, limestone, glass, shell or mirrored. The choice is yours. Cut mosaic tiles can be expensive and the selection may be limited. You can make your own by smashing up standard size tiles inside a towel for a more informal table design. Or, use a knife and a tile cutter to create uniform shapes. Non-uniform squares will make the mosaic much more interesting visually than uniform squares. You could even make your own clay tiles.

Other Materials you’ll need

You’ll need tile adhesive to attach the tiles and tile grout; which you can buy in many different colours. Lighter colours may look stunning but are more difficult to clean. If you decide on a dark colour, make sure your tiles will show up against it.

It’s a good idea to add a frame for the tiles to sit inside. Including a border will not only visually frame your design, but give your wrought iron table a nice even edge. You can ask your table manufacturer to make this edge bespoke for you, which is best. Alternatively, you can do this by using 1 inch strips of wood which you nail or glue to the surface before you start tiling. Then, you’ll also need stain or paint so the frame matches the table top design. Finally, you’ll need a sealant to protect the tiles and prevent the grout from staining.

Planning your Design

If you’d like to go for a particularly complex geometric design incorporating motifs and symbols like a traditional mosaic, you’ll need to plan out your design first. From this you can determine, style, colour and size of tiles and how many you’ll need. Of course, you can just buy a selection of tiles in colours and styles you’re drawn to and let your creativity take over. It is better to plan out your design on a life-size piece of card-board first. Tiles must not touch each other; you need a minimum of 1/8 of an inch gap all the way around.

Tiling and Grouting

Make sure the surface of your wrought iron table is clean. Spread tile adhesive on a section of your table and begin to secure the tiles in place. Once the adhesive dries, it will be difficult to remove so be careful and don’t use too much. Allow this to set for 24 hours.

If you’re using porous tiles such as unpolished stone they need to be sealed to prevent staining, before grouting. Apply a coat of sealant. Apply grout to the table, smoothing it between the pieces of the mosaic and wiping tiles with a cloth to remove excess as you go. Once the grout it’s dried, wipe the tiles with a dry cloth to remove any haze left behind by the grout.

After the grout has set, for protection from spillages and stains especially when you’re using tiles that are porous such as travertine, apply a coat of tile sealer to the wrought iron table top surface. If you’re using the wrought iron table outdoors, give it 2 coats as extra protection from the elements.

Avi Reisman works on the design team at Metal Design Furniture Ltd. Avi's articles on interior design, landscaping, garden furniture, metal furniture and wrought iron are a must read for anyone considering investing in a new wrought iron table for their home.

Metal Design Furniture Ltd, based in London, produce quality metal furniture; using a merger of advanced robotic technology with traditional handicraft. The result is high-end, exquisite metal furniture that will stand the test of time. Furniture is all manufactured in Europe, and they retail their furniture all across the UK.

Far from being mass produced, many of their products have handcrafted details and finishes. In fact, you can customise every piece online before buying with options of colours, sizes and styles. See a real life example of a happy customer who decorated their own wrought iron table top on our blog http://www.metaldesign-furniture.co.uk/blog