Finally - fine furniture?
A useful tool to use in design is a question to explore throughout the work. A question provides a focus beyond the specifics of a piece, and can sort of reach in and pull it further along than you might take it alone. In this set, I wanted to consolidate everything I had learnt during my time at Rowden, as well as giving my work a direction for the future. The natural question for this was, "What is fine furniture?". Rather than creating a checklist of answers, I decided to explore three key themes that resonate through both contemporary and historical work.
Fine furniture is about using the best materials
Beautiful timber, high quality veneer, natural fabrics. I used cherry and rosewood, upholstered in a herringbone worsted. My aim was to approach them with the lightest touch, to let each element speak for itself. The grain of the rosewood bursts forth from the centre of the table, but shows off its wildness around the table's edge. The cherry shines like bronze when used as a string-line, but has a shimmering, quilted feel on the chairs. The upholstery does what worsted does best - tones down the bright elements and brings a balance to timbers that alone could almost be too opulent.
Fine furniture fills the design with details
Details take time and therefore cost money, but they make a piece. A good piece should be filled with little points of interest to keep the eye entertained. The table legs grow up from the ground and into each other, pulling together and then bursting apart again. Rosewood string-lines run up each leg, increasing that sense of movement. The upholstered seat is shaped in a way that pinches the chair legs, highlighting the little rosewood caps. The whole piece is finished in French polish with a final coat of wax polish.
Fine furniture is a piece worked by a craftsman from start to finish
Don't be mistaken, this does not just mean hand tools. A contemporary craftsman takes the speed and accuracy of machines, and combines it with the high-quality fit and finish that only hand-tools can give, to create a piece that simply could not be made on a production line. The rosewood caps that sit atop the legs are not just rounded, but have a crisp edge at each corner. The curved profile on the front of the legs meets the flat sides with a hard line, to allow a shadow to fall. The back rest is designed to give excellent back support, while at the same time meeting the curvature of the legs neatly and precisely.
This list is neither complete nor definitive, but I do feel that these are important themes that run through fine furniture. They are broad enough to serve as a baseline of quality for all my projects in the future. Whether or not my table and chairs are fine furniture is something that I believe has to be judged by others, but it is certainly the finest work I have completed so far.
-sh
N.B. The entire Dalbergia (Rosewood) genus is now listed under Cites II. This was made using pre-convention stock, but there won’t be much more rosewood imported from now on. Also, I didn't do the upholstery myself - I sent that to the excellent Pumphouse upholstery, not too far from Rowden.