"Two steps into the showroom and guests will stop in their tracks, scan the room and simply say, 'Wow.'"
And after walking through the grand double door entrance of Wood Tops & Tables only to be met by the sweet aroma of freshly cut wood and dozens of wooden slabs, tables and even a breathtakingly beautiful chair constructed out of a hollow cherry tree, we agree. "Wow" is a perfect word to describe the way your senses will feel when entering this gorgeous showroom.
Located on Route 18 in Litchfield – just west of Medina – Wood Tops & Tables's owner Ron Roell creates wooden tables of all sizes, as well as counter tops, charcuterie boards, wall accents and more from a wide variety of woods. Better yet, he provdies a full-service operation, installation included. This means he hand-selects his trees and logs. He then dries, sterilizes, planes flat and sands each piece of wood that he sells.
"I am dedicated to practicing urban forestry," says Ron. "This means, all of the trees that I use were cut down due to fungus, natural decay, a bug infestation, urban expansion or simply living out their life expectancy. There is no tree that is cut down specifically for my use."
He continues: "I see potential in trees and logs that others often miss. Some of the trees that I work with have parts that have rotted or ant trails that used to run through them – all of that adds character to the wood that only nature can produce.
Because he chooses to work with trees that include many unique natural features, his drying process includes kiln drying and sterilization. Ron explains that skipping either one of these steps would be detrimental to the overall quality of the wood.
When it comes to applying a finish, Ron prefers to preserve as much of the tree's natural characteristics as possible. "I don't create beautiful slabs, I just expose the wood's natural beauty," he says.
And Ron's work isn't just beautiful, it's durable and requires very little maintenance. Further, Ron never cuts corners – he completes each step meticulously to ensure each finished piece of wood is as maintenance-free as possible. Whether he's creating a wooden accent wall or a charcuterie board, Ron leaves no stone unturned when executing a project.
His extremely hands-on approach relates to his over 30 years of contracting experience, where he spent decades working with celebrity clientele and winning various national awards for his work.
"I moved to Cleveland to be with someone I couldn't live without and the opportunity to reinvent myself was a very nice caveat," Ron says.
And reinvent himself he did – repurposing years of industry knowledge to build his own business and ultimately create some of the finest wood products in Northeast Ohio.
For more information about Wood Tops & Tables, visit WoodTopsAndTables.com or call 440.799.1920. Also, visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/WoodTopsAndTables to watch videos of Ron throughout the many step of his process.