Wegner Wishbone Chairs With Wenge Table

[Mark Singer]

A lot of "W's" in that title:confused:

Wegner is a Master....the chair is unlike almost any other where the back becomes the arm....seating is super comfortable....the arm is like a bridge to the table supporting your arm. The low profile complements the table with an open feeling. This is the favorite chair of my architects, designers and crafstman.....it is no wonder!

One thing to note here ...the table is wenge and will lightten from sunlight....the chairs are soap finished beech and will darken... so the strong contrast will diminish and they will blend more over time. The golden light of the wenge will pick up the warmth of the beech.

With this in place I can focus on Ms. Kim's furniture list. I am building many pieces ...next will be her sofa and a stainless and wood cabinet Paduk and zebra I think. Daniel Curtis , a graduate of Krenov's school at the Redwoods is making the bath cabinetry...Siematic the kitchen...a good team and we have all worked together before and is always fun!

Credits: painting: Brad Delk
Burl vase: from Bali
Barstools: yours truly;)
Cabinets: Siematic
Small painting: Jill Logan

[Mark Singer]

for your viewing pleasure:rolleyes:

[Dave Ray]

Mark, this is a magnificent room. Your work brings it all together. Your eye for design,combined with your woodworking talents, never cease to amaze. Your love of your profession always shows thru, just as you say in your signature.

[Bob Childress]

Those are beautiful, Mark! Flowing lines from every view aspect. A remarkable complement to your table. :)

I am unfamiliar with soap finish, although I can see the result clearly. A wonderful combination.

[Dan Larson]

I like the contrast of the light color/light structure of the chairs to the dark/heavy of the table. Excellent!

Like Bob, I'm unfamillar with a soap finish. I like the look... I can only imagine the smooth & soft feel. As an aside, has anyone here done a soap finish before or know how to apply a soap finish? What are it's wear characteristics... simillar to an oil finish?

Dan

[Mark Singer]

I like the contrast of the light color/light structure of the chairs to the dark/heavy of the table. Excellent!

Like Bob, I'm unfamillar with a soap finish. I like the look... I can only imagine the smooth & soft feel. As an aside, has anyone here done a soap finish before or know how to apply a soap finish? What are it's wear characteristics... simillar to an oil finish?

Dan

Dan,
The manufacturer, Carl Hansen of Denmark is sending me the application/ mantenance guide....I will post it when it arrives.

Thanks for all the nice coments...of course Hans wegner deserves all the credit ...I just pointed and said "thats it:rolleyes: !"

[walter stellwagen]

Beautiful pics of the design of a master. My favorite danish designer.Hard to believe however what folks want for chairs That I paid less than $200 for when I was a young asst prof.

Walt

[Neil Lamens]

Hi Mark:

here's 2 more........WOW!!!!!!!!!!

That shot down low (#1??) along the back rails of the chairs and the structure of the "underbelly" is excellent.

Waited for theses shots didn't expect them so soon.

.....a Really Wonderful look.

[Larry Fox]

WOW - those are outstanding. From what I have seen you post so far, your friends have some really nice houses!!! :)

[John Timberlake]

Great job, Mark. The table looks even better in the actual setting than it did in your previous post. Many interpretive styles that all mesh together in a great ensemble. Wow!

[Jim Becker]

Ah...most excellent, Mark. These chairs really bring a very different look to the space than their predicessors. I think it's the curves and the way they contrast with the more angular aspects of the furniture, cabinetry and other lines. (More noticable right now due to the lighter color, but as you state, that will warm out over time)

[Mike Wilkins]

Beautiful inspiring work and home. Question about the bar stools: are the legs solid metal or square tubing?
Since you stated you also made them, is welding part of your repertoire as well?
The reason for asking is that I have had a wire feed MIG welder and have done some limited metal work, and this is one of the ways to enhance the look of a wood working project.
Thanks for the tour.

[Mark Singer]

Beautiful inspiring work and home. Question about the bar stools: are the legs solid metal or square tubing?
Since you stated you also made them, is welding part of your repertoire as well?
The reason for asking is that I have had a wire feed MIG welder and have done some limited metal work, and this is one of the ways to enhance the look of a wood working project.
Thanks for the tour.
Mike,
I have used Frank Smart of Metalworks in Newport Beach for almost 20 years now. He is a master metal crafstman, he does yacht work and has shown at the Laguna Beach Festival of The Arts for many years. He worked on my chair designs for Sitag and others helping me build the prototypes...I did the laminated wood and Frank the stainless. The frame is solid stainless and the finish brushed. Legs on many of my pieces are credited tto Frank as well as handrails in many of the homes I have built. I agree that a mixed media piece is often a fresh approach and my upcoming Paduck, Zebra cabinet will rest on a similar base.

http://www.franksmart.com/

[Michael Sobik]

Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.

[Don Bullock]

Mark, you certainly are master craftsman. Those chairs are superb. In my opinion, designing and making chairs is the most difficult form of furniture making. Crafting a whole set of chairs that match is the ultimate challenge. You were more than successful. Aas Jim said, the contrast between the straight lines and the curves really sets them out. I understand that the color contrast will be lessened, but I think it really all looks fantastic with the contrast you have now. Congratulations on your accomplishments.

[Mark Singer]

Mark, you certainly are master craftsman. Those chairs are superb. In my opinion, designing and making chairs is the most difficult form of furniture making. Crafting a whole set of chairs that match is the ultimate challenge. You were more than successful. Aas Jim said, the contrast between the straight lines and the curves really sets them out. I understand that the color contrast will be lessened, but I think it really all looks fantastic with the contrast you have now. Congratulations on your accomplishments.

Don,
Clarification...
I did make a set of 10 chairs for my original dining table and I sold the entire set...the Wegner chairs in the photo are original Wegner's made in the Karl hansen factory in Copenhagen, Denmark....all I did was get out my Visa card:rolleyes:

Here are some pics of the chairs I have made for the original table...


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=49036&d=1161912653

[Tom Andersen]

I am Danish and in Scandinavia we seem to have another taste when it comes furniture design. Here's the link to Carl Hansen: http://www.carlhansen.dk/dk/default.html.

No matter whether we like Scandinavian or US furniture style, I do believe that many of us (including myself according to my daughter who is an architect) have a problem when it comes to furniture design. From what I see here at this site, there are so many brilliant woodworkers but I feel that we all need to pull ourselves together and improve on the design? Or, am I swearing in the church?:) :p ;) :D :o :rolleyes:

[Bruce Page]

The Wegner chairs compliment your beautiful wenge table perfectly. I love the light, airy look!

[Mark Singer]

I am Danish and in Scandinavia we seem to have another taste when it comes furniture design. Here's the link to Carl Hansen: http://www.carlhansen.dk/dk/default.html.

No matter whether we like Scandinavian or US furniture style, I do believe that many of us (including myself according to my daughter who is an architect) have a problem when it comes to furniture design. From what I see here at this site, there are so many brilliant woodworkers but I feel that we all need to pull ourselves together and improve on the design? Or, am I swearing in the church?:) :p ;) :D :o :rolleyes:

I am not sure I understand the problem since the Wegner Chair I have is also on the site you linked....if it is about design in general...then explain...I love the deigns of the Dane...Jacobsen, Jouhle, Wegner ...Utzon...

[Kent Parker]

Hi Mark,

Looks like one heavy table. Beautifully simple lines. You certainly have the touch.

I made a small table once with five planks on top with about a 1/8" seam between the planks to allow for expansion and because I did not have the time or room to glue the planks and surface the top. I ended up liking the "design" as it defined each plank in a different manner than if they had all be glued up together.

How did your table tops seam come into your design thoughts?

Cheers,

Kent

[Don Bullock]

Don,
Clarification...
I did make a set of 10 chairs for my original dining table and I sold the entire set...the Wegner chairs in the photo are original Wegner's made in the Karl hansen factory in Copenhagen, Denmark....all I did was get out my Visa card:rolleyes:

Here are some pics of the chairs I have made for the original table...


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=49036&d=1161912653

Sorry about the misunderstanding. I used my Visa card for my chairs and table as well. The LOML fell in love with a beautiful set in an arts & crafts prairie style that I liked as well. It was much easier to pull out the Visa than try to make them myself. Sometimes that's the best way. That set, in fact, was one of the reasons that I decided to get back into woodworking. I want to make some other arts and crafts style furniture to go with it.

Your original chairs are excellent. Like I said, anyone who makes chairs is going far beyond my current woodworking skills. I would still place you in that master craftsman class. I admire anyone who can make chairs like the ones you made.

[Tom Andersen]

I am not sure I understand the problem since the Wegner Chair I have is also on the site you linked....if it is about design in general...then explain...I love the deigns of the Dane...Jacobsen, Jouhle, Wegner ...Utzon...

I guess that I did not make myself clear. I find your chairs very beautiful. I also find that some of the US furniture has an excellent design. Your post made me think over furniture design aspects. I know that some of the stuff that I make myself (or buy) in the end comes out with an awful design, and I think that it is true for other woodworkers as well. We concentrate so much on the woodworking aspects that we seem to forget the design side. It becomes clear when we see how well it can be done in pictures as the ones you have shown in this thread. And I feel that we should make an effort to bring our designs up to the level of our woodworking skills. Maybe I am alone with this opinion???

[Mark Singer]

Tom,
we are all at different levels...for begining woodworkers making a simple table is a chalenge regardless of the design...and that is just how it should be... I tried to round out my skills so if I wanted to make someting...square, rounded, compound, exposed joinery, hidden joinery, I would feel that I could do it and would not be limited by my lack of skill...then I feel free to design and if it presents a chllenge to build, I enjoy the challenge. Now I agree with you that some guys have great skills but limit the designs to things we have all seen and they could do more, in my mind... I asked this questin a few times on this forum and the answer was....some people want to be composers, and others are very happy to play the classical masterpieces as they were composed. and I am fine with that and even appreciate it... If they have great skills and the pieces they are making are just so-so design wise....that is too bad and it is a waste of their skills...For me there is an opportunity to be an artist...to start with a feeling...an intuition ...a new path and let it take me somewhere...then if someone likes it...that is a great feeling! That is really great! and if they don't like it and I do ....that is pretty good as well!

[rick fulton]

story on NY times web site;
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/arts/design/06wegner.html?_r=1&oref=slogin (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/arts/design/06wegner.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)

more info about Hans Wegner;
http://www.denmark50.com/designers/15a.html (http://www.denmark50.com/designers/15a.html)
http://www.scandinaviandesigninc.com/pages/hansWegnerPages/wegnerMainPage.html (http://www.scandinaviandesigninc.com/pages/hansWegnerPages/wegnerMainPage.html)
http://www.designaddict.com/design_index/index.cfm/fuseaction/designer_show_one/DESIGNER_ID/336/index.cfm (http://www.designaddict.com/design_index/index.cfm/fuseaction/designer_show_one/DESIGNER_ID/336/index.cfm)
and of course
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Wegner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Wegner)

[Al Willits]

""""""""
Your post made me think over furniture design aspects. I know that some of the stuff that I make myself (or buy) in the end comes out with an awful design, and I think that it is true for other woodworkers as well
""""""""

Just wondering Tom, is the critique of your design what you think, or what others think?
Al

[Mark Singer]

That is sad....he was , in my mind the best chair designer of the 20Th Century....a Master Crafstman...he could make any of his or others chairs ....he was really skilled and did not take the easy road....his designs are chalenging to make...or to design....fit for the human form.....when I was designing chairs years ago a fellow Architect said to me "The Worlds greatest chairs have already been designed" When I think of that statement, I think of Hans Wegner .....

[John Bush]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for sharing your talent and art with us. Fabulous feel to that space. My eye caught the large wooden bowl/sculpture on the table in the right forground. What's the history and technique of that piece? Thanks again, John.

[Mark Singer]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for sharing your talent and art with us. Fabulous feel to that space. My eye caught the large wooden bowl/sculpture on the table in the right forground. What's the history and technique of that piece? Thanks again, John.

John,
This is a piece from our Bali...it is teak wood. We went to the studios where crafstmen make such pieces.....starting with chainsaws and going finer and finer

[Ed Kowaski]

The Worlds greatest chairs have already been designed" When I think of that statement, I think of Hans Wegner .....

Well phrased, I couldn't agree more Mark.

In addition to monster design skills, Wegner was an uncompromising and gifted woodworker. Design without skill with and understanding of the material generally falls short. Old school, seems that it's not done this way anymore.