Wall Hung Console #1
Walnut 12H x 78″W x 17″D

Wall mounted console table in my portfolio

I wanted to take a moment to go a bit further in depth with my Wall Hung Console #1. This piece has been very well received at both ICFF and the ADHDS. Needless to say I was honored when the piece was featured on two of my favorite design blogs MOCO loco and Freshome. The console was born of a desire to introduce a new piece with drawers. I have always viewed the drawr as a kinetic moment in my work. It had been a while since I had designed a piece with this much potential to “surprise” and the drawers were at the center of this exploration. The other major design factor was the desire to make a wall hanging piece. I have always liked the tension that is created by a floating console. I wanted to create a sense of mass that was floating with impossible ease.

The design process evolved very quickly with this piece and i found myself pulling walnut boards from my lumber rack. Walnut has been my goto wood recently and I had some beautiful boards on hand. The piece was partially born on paper and partially composed as the piece was built. I try to work this way as much as possible because the final piece reflect the joy that I find in the process. At least that is my hope!

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The rough shapes quickly transformed into their final form as I went through the process of subtractive composition. During this stage I try to refine and give reason to the decisions that I made during the additive part of composition. This piece reflects that process at its best.

Pictured below at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show.

Sweeping Cocktail Table

Sapele and Glass 20″H x 62″W x 32D

View the Modern Glass Coffee Table in my online portfolio

The Sweeping Cocktail Table is a perfect example of the sculptural furniture that I am known for. The table is presented in oxidized Sapele and clear glass. The table features sweeping bent laminations that act as stretchers to knit the table together. The curves are more than structure, they are the building blocks that I use to evoke a feeling of movement. One curve flows into the next and the next drawing the viewer in and encouraging them to move around the piece. The movement reaches up and over the glass surface in an unconventional moment.

I wanted to take a moment to go into more detail on my Sweeping Cocktail Table. I designed the piece to be at the center of the Tripoli Gallery Of Contemporary Art in Southampton NY. The process was no different than the other custom coffee tables that i have made. I went into the space and tried to figure out a way to satisfy the needs of the gallery as well as satisfying my need to create a unique piece of furniture. I have done this enough to know that if I am successful on both counts I would end up with a coffee table that would stand out in the gallery or any other place that it may end up. I try to react to the space but still strive for something universal. This goal is at the heart of my approach to custom work.

The location contributed the following needs to the design. The size of 30″ x 60″ seemed like it would fit the gallery well. I knew that they needed a tall table that could be used with lounge seating and double as a low writing surface. I also knew that the table would likely be covered with gallery related information.

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The table that I designed incorporated these factors by bringing one of the sweeping curves up and above the tables surface. Regardless of what was placed on the table this detail would not be lost. I hope that it would always act as an invitation for discovery! If the table were not covered then the composition of the stretchers would be quickly apparent through the glass. In the event that the table were covered then the stretchers could serve to draw the viewer in as they approach the table. Either way the table is designed to stand out and be comfortable in this or any other environment.

I have just completed and installed my largest piece to date. Circle Bench #1 measures nearly 20 feet in diameter. This bench was commissioned to encircle a very large Copper Beech Tree. The circular composition uses sweeping bent laminations to build up the structure, one piece at a time. There are numerous seating areas and tables which encourage people to sit, relax and interact. Pictured before installation onsite to demonstrate the potential for public placements, both indoor and outdoor.

The bench was inspired by the tree, but I was delighted to document it before the installation.

I approached the piece as a 360 degree sculpture that incorporated a number of micro environments. The organizing principle was the circle and the and the long bent laminations that built up the form.

Here is a link to a post at the beginning of the design process

Without further delay here are the pictures of the bench:

I had to pose for one shot!

Bending jig with my custom clamps at the ready

The laminations coming off of my bandsaw.

It got awfully crowded in my shop!

Circle bench in pieces in my shop.

The day i installed it. I will post more pictures after the photo-shoot.