SYD – Fine Furniture/Design

Tag: dovetail

  • Father and Sons’ Desks

    Father and Sons’ Desks

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    My client approached me wanting to create a set of desks for himself and his two sons. They would be using the same office room so they could work together in the same space. My client wanted the piece of furniture to be heirloom quality so the boys can take the desks with them when they graduate college.

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    The father wanted a timeless design with some traditional elements, and the boys (of course) were looking for something more modern in design. I took both elements and went for a nice federal style piece. There’s enough detail and handcraft aspects to make this a timeless heirloom piece, but refined enough to keep it from being mistaken as just an old antique period piece.

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    We chose macassar ebony as the focal wood with mahogany as the skeleton of the piece. Macassar ebony comes in many forms and can differ greatly depending on the log/ tree it came from. I picked all my veneers to have a tight grain and arranged it so it’s not too busy, but not too plain to keep it from looking too much like commercial plywood or formica.

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    The drawers are handcut dovetail drawers with wooden center guide rails to keep the drawers tracking. The quietness of wooden drawers on wooden guides is a subtle cue into the attention and detail put into all aspects of the construction.

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    Im not sure how much the actual desks played a role in it, but it was reported to me that the kids have been getting significantly better grades since the desks have been delivery 🙂 

  • Stefanie Desk

    Stefanie Desk

    stephdeskThis client approached me wanting to create a desk for her fiance as a surprise christmas present. She liked the Harmonson desk I created earlier, and she also showed me several photos of a contemporary and minimalist design she liked. I took the common link between the two and came up with this design.

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    This design is based off of the popular parson’s table. The minimal and clean look, I believe, is a timeless look. Where the legs meet the top, I decided to use a triple miter joinery. Most parson’s table made nowadays is mitered at the top, but the legs just butt up to the top, creating a weak joint. The triple miter, which was used extensively in chinese furniture, is a locking joinery. There are small tenons that lock into the mating surface, creating a joinery that is strong enough to stand even without glue- though glue is still used to make the joint even stronger.

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    The drawers are made from quartersawn white oak (which is stable and wear resistant) with hand cut dovetail joinery that ride on maple drawer guides (also wear resistant). I’m a big fan of drawers that slide against wood if it’s made and fitted well. It’s a subtle thing, but wood on wood drawers feel and sound better when used.

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    Other than the top and the drawers, the desk is made from Sipo Mahogany and Sapele panels . I used leather for the top because the client wanted the top to be made of another material and leather seemed very appropriate for this design. The leather helps to emphasize the frame work in the desk as well as making a nice writing surface. The dark tone of the leather will tie together nicely with the dark rubbed bronze of the handles manufactured by Linnea. (these photos don’t show the handles because I did not have the handles at the time of the photos. I will update with more photos when I take more photos.)