Archives

Let function and proportion be your guide when designing a top. Growing up, I was never one for wearing hats – that was until fresh out of high school when I headed west to work on a cattle ranch [...]

Designing the process can be as challenging as designing the object. The way something looks is only the first half of a design problem. How to make it and how to make it efficiently are often [...]

Subtle use of patterns and repeating motifs please the eye. I was waiting on a phone call so I didn’t think twice when my phone rang. Two words in and I hung up the call. Why do telemarketers [...]

Successful furniture designs draw viewers closer and reward them. Out of the corner of my eye it caught my attention, a fire-engine red 1966 Chevy Impala Super Sport. Memories flooded back to my [...]

A mark of true craftsmanship, bandings are much more than just decoration. Stop for a moment and take a good look at a piece of furniture that you admire—say, a card table from the Federal era. [...]

Use moulding, carving and other details to add visual layers. Have you ever gazed at a great painting and, for a brief moment, found yourself pulled into it? Almost like magic, a few well-crafted [...]

When done carefully, mixing wood species in a single project piece can be beautiful. When I first started woodworking I loved mixing different woods together. The more contrast – and the starker [...]

Unlock your creativity with this humble tool. How comfortable would you be giving up your tape measure? If that puts you in a cold sweat, I can relate. Time was when I worked only from prints, [...]

You might drive by one every day, tucked away from the main road. I drove right by it for years, never suspecting there was a time capsule of American furniture right under my nose. The Spring [...]

Awaken your inner design sense with just a little practice. Talk about design often leads back to the idea of developing a good eye. For a long time I wrestled with this; it seemed a bit like [...]

The Windsor form survives trial by fire. The blaze started sometime after midnight. A weak spot in the chimney broke and glowing embers spilled out onto dry timbers. By the time the fire crew [...]

Good, better or best? Small details and design decisions make a difference. It’s every manufacturer’s dream to have “one size fit all.” Yet imagine a trip to the shoe store and upon arriving, you [...]