The Gather Collection Design Story: Where Rustic Heritage Meets Modern Engineering

The first Transformer Table designs have all tended towards modern style. But dining is as old as civilization itself, and there is a rich history of design styles that waiting to be incorporated into our extendable dining set designs.

With the Gather and Savor Collections, we set out to honor the Farmhouse tradition while incorporating our signature Transformer engineering.

Inspired By Rural Heritage

When Andres Montoya, Design Director and Transformer Table, started sketching concepts for the Gather collection, he drew inspiration from early American craftsmanship and classic trestle tables.

“Traditional farmhouse furniture is all about warmth and familiarity,” says Andres. “I wanted the collection feel like it has been in the family for generations. So I started with a heavy trestle base and finishes that honor the wood grain. But, you know, traditionally, trestle tables and farmhouse furniture is simple in its style but impressive in its stature. My goal was to take that stately silhouette and infuse it with our signature expanding engineering.”

The result is a design that respects tradition whileembracing innovation. Every piece in the collection celebrates the authentic character of real wood, complete with subtle cathedral figures, organic knots, and natural grain variations that make every table unique.

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Heritage Craftsmanship Meets Precision Engineering

At the center of the farmhouse dining collection is the Gather Extendable Dining Table, anchored by a bold, monolithic trestle base. To transform a classic heavy-timber design into a fluid, adaptive centerpiece, Andres and the engineering team integrated our high-precision galvanized steel telescopic rail system—backed by a lifetime warranty.

“The biggest hurdle with traditional trestle tables is legroom,” Andres explains. “We sculpted the crossbuck trestle legs specifically to free up space underneath, allowing people to sit comfortably all the way around. When you pull the table open, deep overhangs ensure every guest has an uncompromised seat.”

Hybrid solid wood construction pushes the modern upgrades even further. This construction style makes optimal use of solid wood, engineered wood and veneers.

“Solid wood is not the best material for every purpose,” Andres explains. “Seasonal changes bring shifts in humidity, and that can make solid wood expand and contract. Solid wood table panels would crack and warp over time. Our hybrid panels never will.”

Round, or Square? You Choose

In its compact form, the Gather Extendable Dining Table measures 48” x 72” x 30” and comfortably seats four people. By adding up to four modular extension panels, it expands to 48” x 152” x 30”, seating up to 14 guests. However, Andres suggest that with four whole feet of wdith, you could probably squeeze two people each end of the table. “It would be a bit tight, but that would bring your headcount up to 16,” he explains.

For homes that thrive on softer lines, Andres introduced the Gather Round Dining Table. Starting as a compact 48” x 48” x 30” circle seating four, it extends with three panels into a 48” x 108” x 30” racetrack oval that seats 4–10 people.

“The round table introduces a sculptural element to the room,” says Andres. “The angled crossbuck legs create strong convergent lines that balance the curved top, giving smaller spaces an airy, inviting rhythm.”

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A Personalized Palette: Two-Tone Customization

Like so many design styles, there’s an interesting history behind tables with natural tops and painted bases. In traditional farmhouses where many hands are working to prepare meals without a lot of electric gadgets, the dining table often served as a workspace for kneading dough or chopping vegetable and meat. The bare wood tabletop could would be cleaned with a water, sand and lye mixture that would have destroyed the brittle paints of the era. Meanwhile, carpenters often used mismatched wood types or imperfect cuts to build bases; painting over them would hide imperfections and contrasting wood grains.

In a nod to this practical necessity, the Gather Collection features two-tone customization. Customers can select their tabletop and base finishes separately, offering four distinct color pairings.

“I love this aesthetic, and the practical reason behind it is so interesting,” Andres explains. “But the real reasson we’re doing this is to give people a way to curate their own space.”

It was important to Andres that the customization didn’t go overboard. Too many options lead to decision fatigue, or, says Andres with a chuckle, “really ugly combinations.” Offering a total of four colorways, he felt, was the right balance. So whether you pair a soft Belgian Oak top with a Patina White base for a bright, airy feel, or select French Chestnut over Patina Black for a high-contrast focal point, every single combination was thoughtfully styled. “Mismatching is impossible,” promises Andres.

How the Collection Makes Room for More

A great dining space requires more than just a table. The Gather Collection completes the room with thoughtfully paired seating and storage solutions:

• Gather Extendable Bench & Gather Extendable Curved-End Bench: Designed to echo the table’s crossbuck motif, these benches bring tavern-style communal seating to your space. The rectangular bench extends from 44” to 150” long to seat up to six people, while all five extension panels store inside an open central compartment built directly into the bench base. The curved-end bench expands to 107” long to seat up to four people around the Gather Round Dining Table.
• Gather Dining Chair: Constructed from solid hevea, these stately high-backed chairs feature an ergonomically contoured crossbuck seat back and reinforced joinery. Finish pairings are curated to match: Belgian Oak pairs with Creamy water-repellent fabric, while French Chestnut pairs with Pewter fabric.
• Gather Sideboard: Serving as the central hosting hub, the sideboard houses all table extension panels in a dedicated panel bay. Above the storage bay, three shelf sections offer room for tableware, while the top surface provides an extra 20 square feet of serving space during large gatherings. Finishes are completed with hardware in Satin Brass for Belgian Oak or Antique Brass for French Chestnut.

“Design should always make hosting feel effortless,” Andres reflects. “With Gather, you don’t have to worry about where to hide extra table panels or where everyone will sit. Everything has its place, leaving you free to focus on what actually matters: enjoying the company around your table.”

Whether you are hosting a quiet weekday family breakfast or a holiday banquet for 14, the Gather Collection provides the stability, warmth, and room for more.

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