Gysinge’s trestle table is based on a model from the early 1900s when interest in Swedish folk culture was at its peak, at the same time as new outdoor habits began, such as eating and drinking coffee in the garden in summer. The old trestle tables were then too heavy to carry in and out and the new garden furniture was too small and wobbly for larger parties. Therefore, furniture such as Gysinge’s trestle table came into being, often home-made on the farms and often hidden away and dismantled in winter or used as storage tables in outbuildings, attics and so on.

The Gysinge trestle table is easy to assemble, easy to carry (one person can do it) and can be used both indoors and outdoors. It takes up almost no space at all when dismantled. The fact that it is untreated means that the board can be easily soap scrubbed and maintenance is almost non-existent. “Practical” is a worn-out word, but this trestle table is as close to practical as you can get.

Trestles, boom and board: Untreated pine. Wedges: Birch.