Stretching the Imagination
I am fortunate in that I get to do a lot of fun design work. Whether solving production problems with better process engineering or refining a chair design, I have endless opportunities to apply my creative energy. Occasionally, we get a design request that pushes my imagination to new levels. Such an opportunity presented itself last year when we accepted the challenge to make this piece; a 12-foot-long dining table that has to go up a small elevator in NYC to its new home.
The client wanted an asymmetrical table divided into 8’ & 4’ segments without having the structure that held it together make it look too thick. Each “half” was to be supported by a proportionally dimensioned pedestal, and the whole piece, of course, needed to look and feel harmonious.
It was easy to see a host of challenges right away: how to connect the pieces securely without visible hardware, how to create a light and elegant look for what was to become a 400-pound table, and how to design a wooden surface to look right with a dividing line ⅓ the way down the top.
An asymmetrical sunburst of curly maple solved the problem of making sense of an asymmetrical top with an off-center dividing line. But playing with the dynamics of this geometrical idea became an artistic game of deception. To make each ray in the sunburst look proportional, they each had to vary in their angle as they approached the center line. Each section of the table had to do this in a slightly different way. This would drive most people crazy, but Jack Micoli, our veneer specialist, took it in stride and nailed it!
To achieve a lighter look while maintaining enough mass for stability, I proposed a low-angled belly that drops invisibly to 6” thick in the center and leaves a 1.5” thick edge. A central beam inset into the belly allowed concealed hardware options in the cavity.
There were so many construction challenges in this table that I can’t say which one was the most vexing, but they all fed the reason I do this work: to bring something new into the world to delight those who encounter it.
As we approach the finish line with this table months behind schedule, delight is not the emotion I am most in touch with. But projects like this, when well done, generate a perennial sense of accomplishment that rewards every effort.
INVENTORY SALE
Our gallery in Asheville has several items that have been kept in safekeeping while visitors tour the shop or come to choose their favorite chair and walnut slab. Some of those items have been added to a new page that you can view here.
You will find a few table options, sets of chairs and barstools, Sonus guitar chairs, and more. These items will all get extra special TLC (and corresponding customization) before being shipped to you. If you have any questions, email us at info@brianboggschairmakers.com.
There is an exceptional opportunity to own four Vintage Berea Hickory Barstools circa 1990s that we picked up from dear friends and clients while we were in California. They no longer have a bar to accommodate them, so they are looking for a new home.
