When a founding member and lead singer of one of the world’s best-selling rock bands wants a massive, live-edge, custom dining room table to decorate his home in Los Angeles, he can go to any manufacturer he wants, and they can be located anywhere in the world.

For Paul Stanley, singer behind such major hits as Detroit Rock City, and I Was Made for Lovin’ You, his research into custom furniture makers took him to Calgary, Alberta, and Black Forest Wood of Calgary — builders of custom furniture from rare pieces of wood sourced from around the world.

General manager Dylan Thomas said that Stanley and the Black Forest team went through 15 different slabs until they found the perfect slabs of wood. “We came up with these incredible slabs of Claro Walnut Burl that we got from our friends at Goby Walnut Products (Aurora, Oregon).”

The Claro Walnut Burl slabs are dense, with rich, unique colors and dramatic "burl eyes." Its wild grain patterns and superior visual appeal make it a highly sought-after material for fine furniture. 

The 1,000-pound table, 15-feet long and 4.5-feet wide, required 15 different slab renditions before finalizing on the Claro Walnut Burl. It used 140 liters of epoxy and featured a tinted black resin to complement the wood's grain. The table's finish includes a polished resin and a satin wood finish, with a UV-cure oil for durability. The project involved extensive sanding and finishing techniques to achieve a high-quality, visually striking piece. The table took about 300 man-hours to build.

Stanley, who was ecstatic over the table, which took 15 people to carry into the home and install, said that all the character in the table comes from the imperfections in the wood. “There's so much to absorb and to see in this fantastic, crazy table,” the singer said. “I knew it was going to be great, but this is way beyond what I expected. It is a piece of art. It could be hung on a wall.”