When I left my cozy marketing job in April to become a furniture maker, my friends and family were a wee bit baffled. And who could blame them? To me, a screwdriver was just a cheap cocktail and a joint — well, I won’t go there. But after a summer at Maine’s Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, I’m proud to share my first major piece, a mid-century style entry table.
Our assignment was seemingly simple: build a solid-wood item with at least one door and one drawer. Students spent a week designing original pieces, producing full-scale drawings and quarter-scale models. This process was critical, as my teachers and I quickly identified potential problems with wood expansion, joinery and proportions. My final design for an entry table with a built-in hat rack won my teacher’s approval, and I was off.
Before I began building, I had to select my lumber. Professionals say it’s overkill to use more than two wood types, but I was eager to experiment with a variety. I opted to use walnut as my primary wood, with cherry for the web frame, maple for the turned legs and ash for the bent hat rack. Screw the professionals, I say — the more wood, the merrier!
I hoped to incorporate the simple, uninterrupted lines of mid-century design in my piece, which presented a unique challenge in its construction. Much furniture from that era is made with veneered plywood to limit wood movement, but I was working in solid. So to address issues of expansion and contraction, I used a frame and panel technique. To assemble the hollow body of the table or the “carcass,” I joined the table’s two sides with the back slab using half-blind dovetails. This U shape was then sandwiched between the top and bottom frames and fixed in place using epoxy and a small army of clamps.
The door and drawers posed yet another test, as I insisted on using mitered joints to allow the wood grain to wrap seamlessly around the case. I nervously applied hinges into the miter, careful not to blast through the side of the case. Thankfully, I didn’t screw up. I then turned my attention to the turned maple legs. For days, I was lost to the lathe, shaping four tapered legs with Zen-like focus. (For dinner, I ate a grain of rice and prayed I’d finish my piece by our late August deadline.)
The table’s final touch was a playful hat rack. I’d spent weeks doodling designs before settling on a shape inspired by the work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. After ripping the ash into long, thin strips, I placed them in our campus steam box. After steaming in the contraption an hour per inch of thickness, I was able to easily bend the wood around a pre-made form. The heat from the steam loosened the wood’s lignans, making it surprisingly flexible — albeit for a short time only.
My finishing touch was 3 coats of Waterlox, a tung oil based varnish. To produce a diabolically smooth finish, I gradually sanded the surface to 600 grit while it was still wet with the finish. This “wet-sanding” technique requires special wet/dry sand paper, but the results put a baby’s butt to shame.
Now I’m eager to hear what you folks have to say about it! Apartment Therapy readers have a keen and critical eye for design, so I'd love to hear your feedback! Finally, I'd like to announce where this piece will spend the rest of its days. I'm giving it as a gift to someone who has lent endless support in my new life as a struggling furniture maker: Surprise Dad, I hope you like your new table!
(Images: 1 Johnny Williams)
Johnny is currently blogging his experience as a student and amateur woodworker. You can keep track of his projects on his blog, Woodlearner. Email any inquiries to johnnyawilliams@gmail.com
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Wow- very nice piece. Love the mix of woods.
view mayabee's profile
Absolutely lovely. This is only the beginning...
view midu's profile
Bravo! By trusting yourself and not listening to the 'professionals,' you came up w/a real winner!
view mirandabee's profile
Very stylish. And what an amazing accomplishment, well done!
view Petra- Designfragment's profile
Honestly, I only glanced at the images and read on. In my head I thought... 'no - the pros are right, you are using way too many wood varieties'. But then I really reviewed the images. I was wrong. I love the result. Excellent job!
view annaland's profile
Very nice piece. And so sweet of you to give it to your dad! I'm sure he'll love it.
view ricestein's profile
It's really terrific.
view kristinm100's profile
I think if the hatrack portion was stained one of the base wood colors, it would blend in better. The unusual shape of the hatrack is already unique enough. The unfinished ash wood makes it jarring to me. Otherwise, love the piece.
Katy
http://fengshuibyfishgirl.com
view fishgirl's profile
Wow - and a great start to your new career, best of luck
view idontdobeige's profile
Want want want!!!! Please write to me if you plan to make another. Angela@angelacappetta.com
You're very talented.
Thanks!!
view medusa12120's profile
That's beautiful and I would love to have it in my entryway! Wonderful of you to gift your dad with your 1st piece. Congrats on a job well done!
http://www.donkeehouse.com
view bitdot's profile
just gorgeous! would love to see it in person & feel that soft as a baby's butt finish. esp. like the various stains of the wood & playful shape of the hat rack but do agree with fishgirl that it would look even better stained in one of the base colors, esp. the orange stain. congratulations on creating such a beautiful piece!
view timmy jr.'s profile
ps: the tapered legs are great too--very MCM and playfully postmodern.
view timmy jr.'s profile
I think it's a lovely piece and bravo to you for chasing your dreams, I love the mix of woods, for the piece to be perfect for me in particular I would lose the hat rack, but to each his own. Great Job.
view boxerchick's profile
I loved reading your story.
view quiltmaster's profile
this is truly phenomenal. do you take commissions? when can we see more of your work for sale?
view cbauch's profile
Thanks for sharing with us. Even though some of that went over my head, it's really interesting to hear the process involved. Of course, love the mcm shaped legs. The piece kind of reminds me of a retro tv, but I like that about it. I also really like the way you did the door and drawer, how it all looks like just one piece, but those are kind of hidden in the design. The hat rack on top is a great touch, it's simple, but artistic. It sounds like a lot of hard work, but you did a great job!
Did I miss it, did you say what kind of wood you used? It's a very pretty blend.
view HeyNowTex's profile
Whimsical and wonderful. I love it.
view 1GH's profile
amazing! congratulations on... everything! finished piece, the process, the writing etc. looking forward to hearing from you-- or about you-- in the future.
view saya*'s profile
i love it!
view thegeneral's profile
Wow. So in one summer you went from total novice to making this?! That's amazing on your part and a testament to your school as well. Congrats, looks like you're off to a great start as furniture maker.
view monroe's profile
I love it. Keep up the good work! I think I might need to put it on my blog too :)
http://www.modernests.com
view MODERnestS's profile
Gorgeous. I would compromise my morals to obtain such a piece.
view standupstapler's profile
wow! that looks really awesome. love the detailing on it. beautiful, practical, great! lovely to read your story too. love to hear from a person following his dreams and vision. Keep going like this!
view Meindert's profile
That's gorgeous! I agree with fishgirl about the finish on the rack. The combo of the finish plus the eye-catching is a bit too lady-gaga-bleeding-at-the-vmas for me! Overall I love it but that final touch might be a bit much for my boring taste.
But seriously that's beautiful. And speaking of racks, what are your thoughts on creating some sweet wine racks for us to use in the tasting room?
view ACmaggie's profile
Soooooo nice!!!!!!
view Haruki's profile
I want one!
I think that the piece is really great, I love the grain, the "winking" drawer pull/ door knob, the long tapered legs, and the fanciful hat and coat rack. All of these elements are really thoughtful and lovely; however, I think that it might be one thing too many. All together the piece is a little over the top.
view Opinionated Architect's profile
Details like the handles are incredible.
view aitchayess's profile
I love the retro sci-fi feel of it, as if it were the love child of a Danish modern credenza and a Martian. I'd buy one.
view Blandwagon's profile
Beautiful! Such a nice combination of design and fine workmanship, it's balanced and elegant and still playful. The variety of woods is great, not overkill at all - you've made the right choice to go into the wood thing for good.
view bewing's profile
I had no idea that you haven't been a woodworker all your life! the table is beautiful - congrats on doing what you love!
view lovelyrita's profile