SYD – Fine Furniture/Design

Tag: Texas

  • Constantin Table

    Constantin Table

    Targu Jiu Table

    This project was a collaboration piece with Tim Cuppett Architects here in Austin, Texas. They approached me looking to create an elegant round pedestal table for their client’s home they had been building. They wanted something modern and simple, but with enough details to make it a special central piece for their dining area.

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    We bounced ideas off of each other, and we finally came to this design inspired by Brancusi’s Endless Column in Targu Jiu. There are two tapered cones made with a coopering technique (like the oak barrels for wines and bourbons) that are mirrored and stack on top of each other. Those cones are then sandwiched by two round plate steels that have a long threaded rod connecting the two.

    The table is made out of American Walnut.

    The photography was taken by Whit Preston.

  • Fuller Desk – Rosewood

    Fuller Desk – Rosewood

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    This client was referred to me from another client of mine that I had made a game table for. They are long time friends who enjoys playing board games with each other so I was happy to hear that my preferred method of marketing ‘word of mouth’ is still working.

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    This client wanted a nice desk for his home office that he could either use as a computer desk or to have a meeting at. He wanted something elegant that looks beautiful in the center of a room. His office is on the small side, so we needed to get the size just right. Too big and it would feel claustrophobic in the room. Too small, and it would look like a child’s desk and wouldn’t be too functional. To make sure we get this right, I made a plywood template to place in the room to make sure it was just right before we finalized the designs.

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    Because the desk is in the center of the room, I wanted my client to be able to freely walk around the desk and not risk kicking the legs of the desk as he walked by. For that reason, I brought the legs in from the corner and tied everything together with low rails. The rails taper up so its wider towards the center. The legs are just straight round since any turned detail would take away from the design instead of adding value. 

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    For the wood, we chose rosewood. Rosewood is a gorgeous wood that has a lot of depth and ages beautifully. The desk top is veneered (because its not a good idea to make a design like this in solid wood due to expansion and contraction) with the grain following from the top down to the sides. The front of the desk flows straight through the drawer front to create one cohesive look. The drawer knob is just a simple design made of bronze. 

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    There is a removable platform to elevate the computer monitor as well as a way to hide wiring. There is one leg that is hollow so a power cord could be snaked up to fuel a small electrical outlet so it’s easy to plug things in and out.

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  • Uchi Houston Host/Hostess Stand

    Uchi Houston Host/Hostess Stand

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    I was approached by the company managing the highly acclaimed Uchi restaurants in Texas area for a revamp of the host and hostess stand there. The original one was made out of walnut plywood and it had been showing some wear and tear for awhile now. My clients wanted to use locally sourced spalted pecan to match the other furniture in the restaurant. 

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    I went to my favorite local sawmill Berdoll Sawmill in Cypress Creek, TX to get the spalted pecan. Spalted wood is beautiful, but it can be too busy if used without restraint. The front, sides, and the legs are spalted pecan, but everything else is made from hickory plywood to give it a nice contrast without the contrast being too stark. I allowed a expansion gap in the center of the front so the solid wood pecan could move freely without cracking. 

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    This new host stand was an opportunity to correct/add details that improved the functionality of the host stand. The first improvement was creating one of the legs hollow so the power cord can be discreetly fed through the cabinet and up to the top surface. Another improvement was creating a recessed area for the monitor to sit in. The clients wanted the customer’s first interaction with the friendly hosts and hostess to be unobstructed by distractions. The sides and the front is raised up front the top surface for this purpose- to hide any clutter that accumulates during a busy dinner service. 

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    In the cabinet, there are 3 doors, 1 drawer, and 1 cubby area. On the side, there is a little menu holder made out of spalted pecan. I chose a toned down board of spalted pecan for the menu holder so there’s a bit of a contrast. 

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    This was a fun project that meant a great deal to me. When I first moved to Austin and I was looking for a job, I worked as a prep chef there briefly until I could get my bearings in town and go work for a guitar maker. I recall my brief time there with warmth. The chefs and everyone there were extremely friendly and the buzz I felt during dinner service was intoxicating. I always wonder what would have happened if I stayed there instead of pursuing my woodworking career.