Andrew Joiner
10-13-2012, 3:57 PM
40 years ago I was a young designer and builder of custom furniture. Typically I'd have a deadline and price to meet. If my client had a photo or drawing it was just a bid with no design work except maybe a sketch. Sometimes a client would say we want a piece in (fill in the blank style). Whether it was a table, cabinet or commercial fixture I was often at the library looking at books and magazines for examples to get inspiration for design details. My main tool for that was a book I eventually bought called " The Encyclopedia of Furniture". From Art Nouveau to Windsor that book has examples. I just realized I haven't looked at that book for the last 10 pieces I've built.
Now that I'm retired I have almost no time or money constraints. All the pieces I make are for me and my family. My next piece will be a dining table for our very modern house. It will replace a Walnut and stainless steel table I made when we first built the house 9 years ago. The current table is beautiful and works fine, but I'm bored and want to design and make a new table.
So what do I do for design inspiration nowadays? Google Images. I almost get lost in it. How cool is it to think " I wonder how Wendell Castle table details would work ? " Then bam hundreds of Wendell Castle images to see . Another favorite search is bespoke furniture. It brings up images of British custom woodworkers designs. I get 2 or 3 final ideas and then make scale models. In this case I'll put the model of the chairs I made up to the table model to make sure they relate well.
How has your design process changed over the years?
Now that I'm retired I have almost no time or money constraints. All the pieces I make are for me and my family. My next piece will be a dining table for our very modern house. It will replace a Walnut and stainless steel table I made when we first built the house 9 years ago. The current table is beautiful and works fine, but I'm bored and want to design and make a new table.
So what do I do for design inspiration nowadays? Google Images. I almost get lost in it. How cool is it to think " I wonder how Wendell Castle table details would work ? " Then bam hundreds of Wendell Castle images to see . Another favorite search is bespoke furniture. It brings up images of British custom woodworkers designs. I get 2 or 3 final ideas and then make scale models. In this case I'll put the model of the chairs I made up to the table model to make sure they relate well.
How has your design process changed over the years?