Furniture design is one of my slower hobbies/interests. It’s something that I enjoy doing, but rarely do I find the inspiration to do something like try to re-imagine a vitrine or credenza. In my academic and more arrogant years, I thought that I possessed the skill to redesign the concept of something as simple [or complicated] as a chair. Nowadays, I feel that many a designer struggle, and ultimately fail, in the avant garde furniture realm. Please, kind sirs, remember that a chair has looked like a chair for millennia probably for a good reason. I don’t bother anymore with re-invention. I’d rather busy myself with simple, clean, effective designs that emphasize the materials and/or look cool […let’s be serious]. I’m particularly attracted to Mid-Century Modern, Scandinavian, and Art Deco styles of furniture. The first two I appreciate for the emphasis on clean, straight lines; warm, rich materials; and clever, yet straightforward design solutions. The latter I appreciate for the tendency towards arrogance, power, and wealth, as well as an emphasis on the richness of certain materials [burled walnut, ebony, and chrome-plated steel were all very common].
Furniture design is obviously about utility, material, and scale. It’s also about joinery, proportion, and detail. But it’s also about space, context, and art. A piece must fit within the space it is intended and must look good while there. My apartment is full of similarly styled black-veneered IKEA rectangles—not a bad choice, but a little boring in some rooms and a pain to dust—that doesn’t quite seem at home in my mid-80s contemporary apartment. If I lived in a loft in midtown perhaps the furniture would fit in better. My excuse is I was moving in to my own place and needed to fill up the rooms quickly and on a budget. I like what I have, but eventually I will cycle out the cheaper monotony of Sweden for some higher quality mid-century styled pieces.
Credenza concept - steel pulls on the staggered drawers emphasize the steel legs.
Elevation of the credenza - notice the gap and cabinet on the left.
I recently completed an aquarium stand that I let sit on my dad's workbench for about a year. He didn't appreciate it very much. It's mostly furniture-grade Baltic birch ply construction, but I added a zebra wood veneer to the cabinet door, as well as some ipe inlays at the top and bottom of the door.
Aquarium stand that has yet to see an aquarium.
Ipe inlay at the top of the zebra wood cabinet door.
Several years ago I made my dad a lamp as a Christmas present. I have since made most of a sister lamp of the same material. I have yet to figure out a suitable shade attachment system for the sister lamp. The lamp has an ipe base, steel touch-switch, and handmade paper shade.
The lamp I made for dad. The shade is attached to a steel frame.
Detail of the steel touch-plate switch.
Lastly, there is, the bar I made my third year in school. The body is made of corrugated steel with ipe trim and the top is made of two types of tile: black granite flooring tiles and a glass tile from a factory in Krchekivstania or some other equally remote Soviet country that has since gone belly up. Yes, it was a project for a class. Yes, I did serve drinks at the final exhibition. And yes, I got an A. I need to get better pictures of it.
The glass tiles are set at an angle at the corners of the granite tiles.
Lights underneath the former Soviet tiles add some 'X Factor'
Since it's my birthday and I can do whatever I want to do, I read this first posting. Love the credenza. You rule. And you make pretty food too.
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