It will be difficult to find a figured laminate that will work when used in a semi-rectangular top like you want.

What might be easier is to find a slab that will work. That way you would not necessarily need a border or might be able to book match the slab.

You might even find a slab large enough to cut the legs/stretcher from and match them to the top.

Here is a link that might be useful: wood slabs

Very nice for something you say was "banged together out of scrap".
Have you looked at going with a straight-grained Cherry, or maybe Walnut if you prefer something darker? I don't think book-match would work especially well with that shape. I also don't see the necessity for veneer.
JM$.02W

Thanks for the suggestions.

The idea behind going with veneer is, where he gets his boards from, you don't get to pick the specific one ahead of time, but have to trust. It also limits us to woods like mahogany, cherry or maple. If we go with veneer, it can be any size, shape, pattern and the kinds of wood available is very extensive. We also get to pick the specific sheet ahead of time.

I ran across waterfall bubinga and fell in love.

Hmmm-- sounds like your woodworker needs a different lumber yard. There's no way I would invest the time and money in building a custom table without picking the right boards for the project. There's too much variation from tree to tree to trust a tabletop to chance. There are plenty of places that will sell you whatever you need in any species you want, providing pictures of the actual boards if you don't have a better local source. I've linked one of my favorite fantasy wood sites below.

That said, there's nothing wrong with a veneered top, especially if you want a burl or bookmatched top. I do tons of stuff with birdseye and curly maple in cherry frames, so I'm not unbiased' but I think its a great look that worked 300 years ago and will still work 300 years from now, "dated" though it may be (not sure to what date though, its been used for a long time).

Coming up with a pleasing symmetrical layout for an odd shape is certainly more challenging than doing it for a simple rectangle or circle, but certainly not impossible and perhaps much more interesting. Take pictures of wood you like, like the one above, print them out and start cutting and folding to try different layouts. Flip the pictures before printing to make bookmatched pairs.

Here is a link that might be useful: wood porn

Thank you rweigand! That's very helpful.

I also came across these guys and started falling in love with the way you can turn veneer into almost a kaleidascope of patterns...a little more wood porn!

Here is a link that might be useful: Veneer Online

OK, I'm getting big push back on the decor side that a heavily patterned wood will just add too much pattern to my space. I'm beginning to see the point. I'm now thinking that boards with a far plainer grain would be better for what we need. Probably out of a hardwood.... I would like to see the boards ahead of time. Is there any place in the Northeast that someone would recommend. We don't mind driving to do a look-see at the wood before we buy it...

Here are the ones I use in my corner of the northeast (near Boston) in my order of preference. There are others, I'm sure.

Connecticut Wood Group in Enfield, CT is excellent, with a huge selection of stuff. http://cwghardwoodoutlet.com/

The Woodery in Lunenburg MA has pretty good prices and a decent selection

Boulter Plywood in Somerville MA is great for exotic plywoods and a decent selection of hardwood-- a little catch as catch can, it's not a huge place and the stock rotates.

Downes and Reader in Stoughton, MA seems good, I've only been there once. Big selection of more common woods.

Anderson McQuaid in Cambridge, MA is OK but very expensive in my experience. Lots of mouldings to match old houses.

Thanks rwiegand! I'll touch base with the woodworker and see what he thinks...Enfield isn't that far from him...

what rwiegand said. beautiful wood defies time. look at a selected wood, 200yr old table , inlay or not. to someone with an eye for furniture it's porn. and built correctly , veneer is more stable and less likely to have seasonal cracks. and besides, veneer is dirt cheap compared to a solid board.

Thanks jeff, the woodworker thinks veneer will be fine as we are child free and the table will be gently used. He said it wouldn't work as well for him with 2 boys in the house...

I spoke with our architect and he suggested sticking with cherry so it matches our kitchen cabinets...but I'm thinking it will be too much cherry...

but he loves the arched trestle on the table....

I've gotten a lot of pushback on the decor forum for going with a busy grain pattern, so I think we will definitely look at boards and go for a more old world, less formal look that the veneers would bring.