Musings of a Furniture Maker

A Visit With the Hopi

2012-02-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

One night in the late 1990s I had an incredibly vivid and powerful dream. It happened with such profound clarity that I could have sworn it was real.

In the dream I was standing on an open plain that was completely barren for as far as the eye could see. Far off in the distance was a range of mountains with low, flat peaks. I had the sense that I was standing somewhere in the desert of the American Southwest.

The ground beneath my feet was absolutely arid and dry, and I could see deep cracks and fissures running in all directions. The earth was brittle and hard, and it crumbled audibly into tiny fragments with every step I took. I could smell the dryness of the dust as it wafted lazily in the stillness of the desert air.

Standing to my right was an old Native American who seemed to be an elder of some kind. His face was weathered and deeply wrinkled, and his eyes had an expression of incredible sadness. There was a sense that he was tired and about to depart on a long journey. I had the impression that he had recently passed away.

Before leaving there was something important he had to tell me. He spoke softly and slowly in a low, deep voice with words I could not understand. The language was not English. Nor did it resemble any European language I am familiar with.

Raising his arm he gestured for me to look to the horizon. I could see silhouettes of animals in the distance, walking slowly in single file from left to right. There was a panther and a buffalo and many other species I cannot remember now. In some cases a predator walked behind prey, but all were walking calmly and deliberately in an orderly procession. There was a sense of balance to what I was being shown.

The silhouettes were all solid black, and within the heart area of each was a small ball of light. It seemed that this light within each represented their energy, or life force.

It was at this point I became aware that the animals were walking up to a great, old tree that stood alone on a very slight rise of land. Within this tree was a similar ball of light to that which was held in the animals, only this ball was much larger and much brighter. It was as if the Sun was positioned behind or inside this tree, and in some way maybe it was.

Looking back to the old man I could see he was now smiling. He seemed pleased to have been able to share something before going on his way. Before I could say a word, he turned and departed.

At this point the dream ended and I woke up.

Although it was the middle of the night the intensity of this experience jolted me fully awake. I immediately ran downstairs to turn on my computer. Surfing the Internet I looked up familiar names such as Black Elk, Geronimo and Sitting Bull. I was convinced that if I could find a photo I would recognise the man from my dream. But the effort was to no avail, because I never did find an image of anyone who resembled the one who spoke to me.

Nevertheless the experience stuck with me, so much so that several years later I commissioned wildlife artist Donna Bisschop to capture my memory of it to canvas.

What does the dream and this painting have to do with furniture making?

Absolutely nothing, but here's where the story gets interesting.

While channel surfing one night in December 2006 I came across the popular television program 'The Colbert Report' . I tuned in near the end of Stephen Colbert's interview with author Daniel Pinchbeck; with the two of them discussing Daniel's then-latest book "2012 - The Return of Quetzalcoatl".

Several weeks later I was discussing the book with friend, and we ended up talking a great deal about a Native American tribe called the Hopi. The Hopi live in the remote mesas of northern Arizona, and Pinchbeck mentioned them in some detail near the end of his book. Out of this discussion came the suggestion that since I was so interested in the Hopi maybe I should travel to Arizona to go see them.

I laughed and said that this was not going to happen, because I could not foresee any reason for ever having to travel to Arizona.

Then something strange happened. On the very next day my phone rings and it's Lee Weitzman calling from Chicago. Lee had a client in Tucson with a problem they needed help with on a custom dining table we had made a few years earlier. (Apparently a housekeeper had tried to clean the table with abrasive cleanser, and now someone was needed to explain to a local cabinet shop the process of repairing the finish).

As much as I tried to explain the repair process over the phone the client was adamant that I travel to Arizona to deal with the matter personally. They had no qualms about paying for my time and travel expenses. As it turned out, for as much as I tried to talk my way out of making the trip, it soon became clear that I would have little choice but to go.

It was also now apparent that since I was travelling to Arizona anyway (thanks to a client willing to pay for the bulk of my travel expenses), there would be little in the way of added cost to extend my trip a few days for a personal side trip. That said, I decided to follow an intuitive hunch down the proverbial rabbit hole by planning a visit to the Hopi reservation as part of this journey.

I flew to Arizona and managed to resolve business matters by the morning of February 9th. I then made my way to Winslow, Arizona where I then took a 4-wheel-drive north into the desert. After first travelling through the Navajo reservation I ended up on the Hopi reservation by late afternoon.

After driving around and orienting myself with the area I eventually found myself in one of the most traditional of Hopi villages. In so doing I also ended up having a chance meeting with the eldest elder of the Hopi - a revered individual by the name of Grandfather Martin Gashweseoma.

Out of respect for Grandfather Martin and the Hopi I will not give much detail on what happened during my visit. I was asked not to take any photographs or make any sketches in and around the village, and I respected those requests. The only photographs I took were outside the village, and even those were taken with permission.

It is my understanding that many Hopi feel that their way of life has been exploited and misrepresented by non-Hopi such as myself - and not without reason. Therefore, I prefer to err on the side of caution and will share my story based on my own personal experience with what unfolded.

It was late in the afternoon of February 9th when I first met Grandfather Martin. He was busy gathering coal, and after a brief discussion he offered to let me stay the night in his home. I thanked him for the offer, but not wanting to impose on his generosity I said I'd find a place off reservation and return the next day.

"Be back before sunrise" he said.

That night I could barely sleep. I had just met a man considered by many to be the Native American equivalent to the Dalai Lama, and he had just welcomed me into his village. Not wanting to be late, or delayed for any reason, I checked out of my room by 3:00 a.m. and drove back to the reservation, where I parked on the side of the road outside the village to wait for the dawn.

Because this area is so remote, and there is absolutely no electricity or street lights (or streets for that matter) within the village itself, the darkness at night is more than palpable. It was literally and figuratively pitch black.

At some point a very faint glow of light began to appear on the distant horizon, and I knew that dawn was approaching. Not knowing the exact time of sunrise, and not wanting to be late, I set out on foot to make my way into the village. I used my memory of curves and laneways from the previous day to guide me to the main plaza - alongside of which Grandfather Martin's home was located.

It felt strange to be a white man walking gingerly through the darkness of a Hopi village. On some level I felt like an intruder. As I got within yards of Grandfather Martin's door I heard growls and something suddenly rushing at me out of the darkness. I didn't know what it was or where it was coming from until it was right upon me.

Rez dogs - two of them. At first I thought they were attacking me, but thankfully they didn't. I was then concerned that they'd start barking and waking the whole village, so to keep them quiet I started rubbing and petting the sides of their necks. Thankfully that worked because they loved the attention - so much so that they ended up coiling themselves so tightly around my legs that now I couldn't walk anywhere.

So there I stood in the pre-dawn darkness - about 10 feet from Grandfather Martin's door - hunched over and scratching the necks of 2 feral dogs who were determined to keep me standing exactly where I was. I didn't dare stop rubbing their necks either, because at least what I was doing was keeping them quiet.

There was no light or noise coming from inside the home, so I also had no idea how much longer I'd have to wait.

After a long while the door opened, and Grandfather Martin peered outside. Seeing me there he beckoned for me to come inside. The dogs, it turned out, were his and he seemed pleased that they liked me.

What I soon discovered was that I had unexpectedly shown up on one of the most sacred days on the Hopi calendar. Known as Powamuya, this is a time of purification that culminates with a ceremony known as the bean dance. To describe it in simple terms: this celebration marks the return of the katsinam, who are the benevolent spirit beings who live among the Hopi for about a six month period each year.

In broader terms, and to use a sports analogy, it was as if I had shown up at a football stadium and discovered, quite by chance, that the Super Bowl was being played there that day. The fact that I was welcomed and invited into this elder's home was the equivalent of receiving sideline passes to the 50 yard line.

The experience was magical beyond comprehension. Grandfather Martin's home faces a main plaza, and as the day unfolded the bulk of the activity going on in the village was happening right out front. Inside the home was like a veritable Grand Central Station, with an ongoing feast and an endless stream of family, friends and other villagers constantly coming and going.

By far the most pleasantly haunting and treasured memories of that experience were the sights and sounds of the costumed Kachina dancers as they emerged from the underground kivas to slowly dance and weave their way down the dirt lane ways and into the central plaza. It gave me chills of awe to bear witness to ceremony that was probably the same as it has been for thousands of years.

I still get goose bumps every time I recall the memory.

But what impressed me and influenced me the most were the Hopi people themselves. As a stranger and a white man I had shown up unannounced in their village on one of their most sacred of days. Instead of being turned away I was treated as a welcomed guest. Although the material means of the Hopi were few, what little was there was shared generously.

The laughter and sense of humour amongst the Hopi was also a joy to behold, even though some of the loudest of laughs came at my own expense over what a Kachina dancer had done to my leg earlier in the day.

Given how busy things were with ceremonies etc. I had few opportunities to talk one on one with Grandfather Martin, although he did ask me to sit with him on a few occasions while dances were taking place.

Although this is impossible to prove and difficult to articulate I believe that people such as Grandfather Martin and other indigenous peoples such as the traditional Hopi are some of the last remaining people on this planet who retain a true sense of spiritual connectedness to the planet and the natural world.

Perhaps the best way to explain the magic surrounding my experience there is to show you the following photo. It was taken (with permission) near the village of Kykotsmovi. When you compare it to the painting of the dream (shown earlier in this post) you'll likely notice some rather remarkable similarities.

What does it mean? An interpretation is anybody's guess, but it's quite possible that some would call this little more than a coincidence. However, as coincidences go I'd say this is a pretty good one.

In the grand scheme of things I believe that at some point in each of our respective lives we all get confronted with an unusual circumstances, or "coincidences", to remind us that the world is not always as it seems.

On these occasions it is often prudent to trust our intuition rather than blindly heeding what commonly accepted "conventional wisdom" tells us to do.

Delta Rose Console

2012-01-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

J. Wade Beam is one of America's most iconic furniture designers.

After several years working at the legendary Dunbar Furniture Company of Berne, Indiana Wade became Design Director and VP of Sales and Marketing at Brueton Industries Inc. of New York.

It was during this time we worked with Wade to develop many new products for the Brueton collection, including the Virginian Credenza show here.

The elliptical shape of the plywood bend on the Virginian was extremely difficult to achieve, but our success with the final result made this credenza a favorite of all the custom furniture pieces we have ever made.

Following completion of his tenure at Brueton in the mid 1990s, Wade began to dabble with other experimental designs. One of them was a wall hung console he called the Delta Rose.

Measuring 84" long x 18" deep x 36" high this console was extremely angular in form, with high polished Ribbon Sapele ends flanking a triangular gold leaf center wedge.

Although called the Delta Rose, this console became unofficially known as the "Klingon Warship" in our shop. (Star Trek fans might see the humour here).

Happy Birthday, Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd.

2012-01-13T04:39:00.000-08:00

Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. turns 45-years-old today.

The company was founded on January 13, 1967 by my parents Ann and Johan Wiggers. Just like today that day also happened to be a Friday the 13th.

Although some consider Friday the 13th to be unlucky, I guess it doesn't work that way for everyone.

When I was very small I spent a great deal of time playing on my father's workbench, while he was still working out of the basement of his home.

The first actual workshop wasn't built until 1968. (Notice the Ford Econoline van parked on the side. Years later that was the first vehicle I learned to drive, complete with standard transmission and three-on-the-tree.)

This is the shop today. It is now approx. 12,000 sq. ft. in size, but still has a number of original tools and machines still being used each day.

Although he's now retired my father keeps himself active which, in turn, keeps him young.

This coming year will also mark my 31st year as a full time furniture maker, and I am amazed how quickly the time has flown. (Such a cliche to say too, I know).

My son Kevin is now working with me as well.

Although he's only 21-years-old he's already far more skilled and experienced than I was at the same age. What parent wouldn't be happy to admit that?

It's great having my father around to teach Kevin things like wood turning and marquetry. Kevin is patient and shows great respect listening to his grandfather.

As an interesting historical footnote it was also 45 years ago today that Time Magazine published the following cover:

Times have certainly changed, because in recent years China has transitioned away from being an agrarian Communist society to become what is now a manufacturing juggernaut - becoming so wealthy in the process that it is now the holder of millions of jobs and trillions of dollars formerly held in the West.

This certainly wasn't the playing field that confronted my father and grandfather during their respective eras. Then again, they had Great Depressions and World Wars to deal with. Regardless, I remain hopeful that we as a small business can continue to find ways to navigate forward during these uncertain times.

In the meantime Happy Birthday, Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. !

Custom Furniture Sample Sale - Dallas, Texas

2012-01-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Currently we have 2 floor samples on display at the Allan Knight showroom in Dallas, Texas.

We are interested in finding good homes for both of them.

The first piece is a Florence Buffet which measures 86-3/8" long x 19" deep x 35-3/4" high. The cabinet exterior is finished in a combination of Tobacco Mahogany and Cerused Natural Walnut satin finish.

There are 3 touch latch doors crafted of Tobacco Mahogany with recessed insets of Cerused Natural Walnut. Three natural maple compartments are located behind each door, with 1 adjustable shelf set into each compartment. There is also 1 lined and 1 lined/divided drawer located inside.

The List price of the Florence Buffet as shown is $12,165.00

The Alina Table measures 30" dia. x 30" high and has a Dark Adobe Oak Top with beavertooth textured finish, set on 3 Cerused Limed Oak legs. The lower level is a non-textured Dark Adobe Oak fixes shelf.

The List price of the Alina Table as shown is $4965.00

Both pieces were designed by Mitchell Pickard of Dallas, Texas and are currently on display at:

Allan Knight and Associates
150 Turtle Creek Boulevard
Suite 101
Dallas, Texas 75207

214-741-2227
214-741-2238 (f)

Contact: David Peterman
dpeterman@allan-knight.com

Please contact David for more information as well as available discounts.

Custom Chess Table

2012-01-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

A few months ago we received a request to make a Bow Tie Pedestal Table in a custom size of 19-5/8" long x 19-5/8" deep x 20" high.

The purpose of this table was to provide an elevated playing surface for a stone chess board the client already had.

The resulting table was crafted from a bundle of quarter cut figured Walnut veneer.

Custom End Table for a Ski Lodge

2012-01-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

A few months ago an interior designer from Utah called expressing interest in Kevin's Portage Cocktail Table design.

The designer wanted to know if the table could be resized as an End Table measuring 24" x 24" x 24" high. In addition, she said that the satin black plinth and stainless steel offsets would need to be changed to an antique bronze finish, in order to meld with other pieces in the existing decor of a mountain ski lodge.

After finalizing the details with drawings for approval we began work on the table. The timeline was short, since the table had to be delivered in time for a large party taking place just before Christmas.

The antique bronze offsets and plinth were fabricated from a heavy gauge of cold rolled steel, and sent to a nearly plating shop for finishing.

The main body of the table was crafted from a spectacular bundle of reclaimed quartered Walnut veneer, that had a slight fiddleback pattern to the grain.

Drilling the holes for the offsets had to wait until the metal components arrived, in order to ensure a tight custom fit.

This image shows a detail of the top corner of the table, highlighting one of the antique bronze insets as well as the beaded corner inlay.

The above image shows the completed table. A last minute revision was made to use extra heavy 5/8" (16 mm) glass for the top, to complement the masculine proportions of the design.

After final inspection the table was wrapped and crated for shipping. Because of its relatively small size it was possible to ship the package in an economical manner via ground courier to the final destination.

The table arrived just in time for the party, and by all accounts it was well received.

Television Interview with Howard Green of BNN

2012-01-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago a producer from Business News Network (BNN) called asking me to participate in an interview entitled "The Business of Craftmanship".

The focus of the segment was to discover how people can turn the craft of making things into an actual business, and in addition to me discussing the craft of fine furniture making there were also interviews with custom guitar maker William "Grit" Laskin, and shoemaker-to-the-stars John Fluevog.

The interview took place last Tuesday at a gallery in Toronto called Industrial Storm, and it would be an understatement to say that I was incredibly nervous going in.

Thankfully the show's host Howard Green was incredibly professional and easy going, and his friendly, relaxed demeanor worked wonders setting me at ease before the interview began.

Howard's interview with me can be seen at the following link:

http://watch.bnn.ca/headline/#clip590938

Meanwhile Howard's interview with William "Grit" Laskin is here, and the interview with John Fluevog is here.

The Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been over a month since my last blog post. I ended up slipping into vacation mode, and haven't found reason to return until now.

At the end of July we went on vacation to a lake near Haliburton. As much as I had grand ambitions to use the downtime to either design new furniture pieces or sort through my images folders, deep down I knew I'd be using my time off to do little more than absolutely nothing. Basically I just shut down mentally, to the extent that I could barely find the motivation to even check email (which, incidentally, would have meant driving into town to find some place with Wifi). Aside from a bit of swimming and a few long walks about the only thing I accomplished was putting a daily dent into my stash of Diamond Crowns, Macanudos and Arturo Fuente Hemingways.

In my mind there is nothing that caps off a lazy day on vacation quite like an excellent cigar under a star filled sky.

About the only real accomplishment I made all week was reading a book, which happened to be "Life" by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. One thing I found fascinating was the way in which Richards describes the creative process of song writing. In his mind he doesn't really write songs, so much as act as a conduit for pulling songs out from the proverbial aether. In many ways his description parallels experiences I have had creating some of my more unusual furniture pieces and details.

Speaking of furniture I had to laugh about the near fatal experience Richards had with some built-in bookcases in his home. Apparently he was reaching for a book on an upper shelf one time, and the shelf pins fell out causing him to fall under an avalanche of tomes. The incident resulted in serious injury including broken ribs and a punctured lung. Apparently Mr. Richards has need for a good cabinet-maker, and if he's looking I know of a good one I could recommend.

Perhaps the best part of the book was Richards' explanation of how the bluesy guitar riff came together on my all time favorite Stones song: "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?"

Even after all these years, this tune still rocks.

Hat tips to the late Andy Warhol for the iconic album cover.

(Yes, kids, there once was a thing called albums, and the album covers were a form of art).

Spalting Maple - The Horse Poo Experiment

2011-07-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

In recent months Kevin has made considerable effort to purchase some figured wood that is commonly known as Spalted Maple.

Given the difficulty he has had finding quality examples of this wood, he has started to explore ways of spalting his own Maple.

What is Spalting?

When most woodworkers refer to spalting, they are usually describing the introduction of dramatic color or black into specific grain lines of wood. This is sometimes produced by mold growth in live or cut wood, or various types of wood disease or rot. Spalting can include myriad forms and colors, depending on the wood, the cause, the chemical elements introduced, etc.

When different types of mold of fungi are present in a piece of wood, black lines are often formed as an interaction zone where different fungi have erected barriers to protect their resources.

Somewhere along the way Kevin found a do-it-yourself recipe that claims that Maple can be spalted by smearing yogurt over chunks of the wood. The wood is then wrapped in plastic and buryed it in the ground for 2 months. Kevin gathered up a variety of 6/4 Maple scraps from around the shop and used them to conduct his experiment.

While it makes sense that the bacteria naturally found in yogurt should have the ability to spalt Maple, I question whether kiln dried solids are wet enough for the spalting process to work. Given that he buried the wood in early June, we'll find out in a couple of weeks time how well the experiment worked.

In the meantime some relatives ended up cutting down a small Maple tree at their cottage recently, and they asked whether I'd be interested in the logs. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to explore a different theory of spalting.

For this experiment I used a recipe found online at a site called WoodCentral. It calls for a mixture of 3 parts dried leaves, 1 part water, 2 scoops Miracle-Gro, 1 part fresh horse manure, and 1 bottle of beer (in this case an Upper Canada Dark Ale).

The photo above shows the ingredients ready for mixing. The dried leaves are already in the pail with the water.

The brew is stirred and ready.

To better expose the wet ends of the logs it was necessary to cut 3" off each end. My father came by with his chainsaw to do the deed. For a 79-year-old he continues to be quite limber and adept with handling tools.

Applying the "poo brew" to the ends of the logs.

The remaining mixture of manure and leaves was placed on top of the bark.

The logs were then wrapped and sealed in plastic, where they'll remain in the Sun for about 2 months. The skid below keeps them elevated, so ground rot doesn't set in.

Check back in 2 months time to see what happened.

The "Big Ass" Desk

2011-07-12T18:18:00.001-07:00

About a year ago we received a request for quotation for a number of furniture pieces going into a large custom project. One of the pieces quoted was for a custom desk.

At the time I remembered feeling just a little bit nervous about the prospect of making a massive one piece curved top that would measure almost 14' corner to corner. Not knowing whether the quote would actually materialize as an order, I didn't end up spending too much time figuring out how, exactly, we'd do it.

Well, the order did materialize, and we did figure out how to make the top.

This is the credenza that will be located on the left side of the desk. There are a total of 6 box drawers over 3 files drawers. The drawer boxes will all be dovetailed solid maple running on Blumotion self closing linear ball bearing slides.

This image shows the addition of the side cabinet for CPU storage. There will be a removeable angled back added to this cabinet to allow for wiring access.

The curved modesty panel is bolted to the CPU cabinet.

The end gable is added to the far side of the modesty panel. The removable panel for the CPU cabinet can be seen on the right.

The "big ass" top is added to the "big ass" desk. It goes without saying that putting an undercut bevel edge around all 3 sides was more than a little challenging.

This view shows the inside of the desk, including the knee space.

I'm not certain whether this is the biggest desk we've ever made, but this is definitely the biggest desk we've ever made for a home office.

This piece has now been disassembled for sanding and finishing.

Tekendoos Keepsake Boxes

2011-07-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

The inspiration for these keepsake boxes comes from a “Tekendoos” (a Dutch word for “drawing box”) that was given to me by my Grandfather when I was a small boy.

I have cherished this gift for almost 50 years, and it still sits on my desk to this day.

The boxes shown here have been constructed from mitre folded Baltic Birch ply, with exteriors clad in various species of exotic wood that have been inlaid with purfling banding. The hinges are solid brass, and the interiors are felt lined.

The overall dimensions of each box is 10” by 5” by 2-5/8” high

The box shown above has been crafted from Karellian Birch Burl and inlaid with Mahogany, Maple and Indian Ebony.

The above box is made from Zebrawood inlaid with Mahogany, Maple and Indian Ebony.

This box is made of Kevazingo inlaid with Tulipwood, Maple and Indian Ebony.

The above box is made of Pommelle Sapele inlaid with Mahogany, Maple and Indian Ebony.

The keepsake box shown above is made of Bubinga inlaid with Tulipwood, Maple and Indian Ebony.

Several of these Tekendoos Keepsake Boxes will be on display at The Guild Shop in Toronto, as part of the "My Grain" exhibition which opens on July 16th.

Aquaria Console

2011-07-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

The Aquaria Console measures 42-1/2" long by 10-1/2" deep by 29-1/2" high. The high gloss figured wood top appears to float over the base since it rests on concealed cross ribs that are set between the long curving aprons.

The aprons are attached to the curved solid legs by means of mortise and tenon construction. An optional drawer extends from one end by means of Blumotion linear ball bearing slides. The drawer box itself is made of dovetailed solid maple.

The console above is shown with a solid Walnut base that has been stained Dark Chocolate. The top is figured Crotch Walnut which has been center butt matched, and stained to complement the base - albeit with a high gloss finish.

The legs and aprons on the console above are made out of solid natural Bubinga. The figured wood top is rotary cut Bubinga, which is sometimes called Kevazingo.

The apron and legs on the console above have been made out of Curly Maple that has been stained a medium Chestnut colour. The figured wood top comes from a rare sampling of Curly Birds Eye Maple that has been stained Chestnut to match.

The console below has legs and apron made out of natural solid walnut, with a natural Crotch Walnut top.

The latter two consoles are currently on display at The Guild Shop in Toronto - ready for the "My Grain" exhibition which opens on July 16th.

Channel Cocktail Table at the "My Grain" Exhibition

2011-07-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Channel Cocktail Table is one of the first custom furniture pieces that Kevin designed and made, while he was still in school.

Measuring 54" long x 21" wide x 16" overall height the main body of this table is crafted from a rare sampling of quartered English Oak veneer, which was sourced from my core stash of vintage woods.

The tempered glass top was set on offsets of satin stainless steel which were meticulously inlaid into the concave curve of the pedestal top.

This table was first displayed in juried "Studio North" exhibition at the 2010 Interior Design Show (IDS10). It was here that the table caught the eye of Gord Peteran, who teaches Furniture Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD).

Peteran said he "was struck by the simple understated grace of the table. While the table was basically composed of three simple forms made out of three different materials, there was a sophisticated relationship between them that is not common in contemporary design nor is it usually present in young makers work. Upon closer examination the quality of execution was beautiful."

The Channel Cocktail Table will be on display at the upcoming "My Grain" exhibition at The Guild Shop in Toronto, which opens July 16th.

Chevron Console at the "My Grain" Exhibition

2011-07-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Many apartments and condominiums are notorious for having narrow entry areas at the front door. To address the design challenges of these spaces Kevin has created a narrow wall hung console called the Chevron Console that is only 6" deep.

Earlier this year Kevin had the privilege of displaying an example of this design at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York.

This piece ended up being part of a group exhibit at The Furniture Society's display, where it was featured alongside the works of distinguished furniture makers such as Garry Knox Bennett, Wendell Castle , Michael Fortune , Vladimir Kagan , Silas Kopf, John Makepeace, Judy McKie, Po Shun Leong and others.

Kevin's Chevron Console was subsequently sold to a private collector.

For the upcoming "My Grain" exhibition at The Guild Shop in Toronto Kevin will be displaying another version of the Chevron Console . This piece measures 30" long by 6" deep by 6" high. It has been crafted from quarter cut Wenge panels that have been compound mitred to create a seamless monolithic structure. It is wall hung by means of a French cleat that is recessed into the back face. It is also signed and numbered on the back face: 2010-#022.

The "My Grain" exhibition opens at The Guild Shop in Toronto on Saturday July 16th.

Small Oval Keepsake Boxes

2011-07-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Every so often I'll end up with some lovely pieces of Black Walnut that are too small to make into furniture. More often than not I'll use this material to make into small Keepsake Boxes.

Each of these boxes gets crafted from a single block of wood. Elliptical oval in shape, they measure 4" long by 2-1/2" wide x 1-1/2" high. The wood surfaces are hand rubbed in a natural oil finish, and the inside bottoms are lined in Caiman leather.

The turtle image inlaid into the top of this box was inspired by an aboriginal glyph of a turtle.

Turtles are deeply revered in many ancient cultures and civilizations, in part because they are one of the oldest forms of life and their shells are symbolic of protection. Because of their great age and slow metabolism, turtles are also associated with longevity. A turtle also does not move very fast, which is indicative of the need for patience. This message is especially important for relationships such as marriage, because all marriages require patience.

The Goddess image shown here was originally designed for the Women's Health Research Awards in 2004. It symbolizes the image of the feminine divine, with the Woman represented as Goddess.

A Trip to the Cottage

2011-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Teresa and I went on a small road trip to visit a relative's cottage.

It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff needs to get packed to go on one of these simple visits.

The weather was gorgeous, and we quite enjoyed the scenic drive (with our Tim Horton's) over roads that wound through lush forest and dramatic rock cuts of Canadian Shield.

Along the way we made a pit stop in the tiny village of Norwood to visit a place called Ralph's Butcher Shop. Ralph's is a small business that is known for their high quality meats, and one of their specialties is hand made sausages in a variety of flavours that include Honey Garlic, Maple, Zesty Italian and Wild Leek.

We ended up purchasing far more sausage than we originally planned, and the folks at Ralph's were generous enough to provide us with enough ice to last until we got our purchases home to the freezer.

Although it goes without saying that Teresa and I are not aficionados of mosquitos, horse flies and insect repellant we did end up having a most enjoyable visit with family and friends at the cottage. We also quite enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in and waking up in our own bed this morning.

"My Grain" Exhibition at The Guild Shop

2011-07-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

Next week the "My Grain" exhibition opens at The Guild Shop in Toronto.

Today Kevin and I delivered some pieces that will be displayed at this show.

In the above photo Kevin is standing beside on his wall mounted Chevron Console, while leaning on his Aquaria Console. He'll also have his Channel Table on display.

The main piece that I'll be showing is a Kidney Shaped Desk crafted out of FSC certified ebony.

Some upcoming blog posts will detail each of these pieces in greater detail.

Custom Furniture for a Ritz Carlton Hotel

2011-07-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

The following images are of some custom furniture pieces we made for the public areas of a Ritz Carlton hotel.

This console measures 72" long x 24" deep x 33" high. Crafted from Chestnut Pommelle Sapele the top has a reverse diamond match pattern. The sides are inlaid with natural maple. The finish is semi gloss low-VOC polyurethane.

This side table is made of Chestnut Ribbon Sapele with ebonized inlay details, and finished in semi gloss low-VOC polyurethane.

Several variations of these round tables were made for a cocktail lounge located in the lobby of the hotel. The plinth has a subtle tapering cone top surface which had a challenging sunburst grain pattern applied to the face. The hexagonal tapering cone pedestal conceals hidden metal rods which provide the necessary strength to support the 38" diameter top.

Remembering Todd Marckese

2011-07-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I mentioned how a furniture designer by the name of Todd Marckese played a key role in finding a client for the initial prototype of the Kidney Shaped Desk.

I first met Todd while exhibiting at the Chicago Design Show in 1998. At the time he was principal of Marckese Design Studio in Orlando, Florida. His client list was prestigious and his work was recognized in many design publications including Architectural Digest, Florida Design and Showboats International.

Todd was exploring the idea of branding his own furniture collection, and he asked if I might be interested in doing product development and prototyping with him. We exchanged business cards, but it would be almost 5 years before we spoke again.

When he called in the summer of 2003, Todd asked if I remembered our conversation in Chicago. I did, largely because of the unusual business card he left behind. Measuring just over 2 inches square this card stuck out both literally and figuratively. Todd laughed at my observation, pointing out that it was necessary to be different in order to be remembered.

Todd went on to say that he was working on an upscale residence and the project required many unique pieces of custom furniture. One of the pieces he required was a desk, but it came with the proviso that his clients had strong holistic inclinations and, therefore, a conventional desk would not work. This, ultimately, laid the groundwork for the Kidney Shaped Desk making the transition from concept to reality.

In the ensuing months Todd and I developed a symbiotic working relationship as we worked together on several custom furniture pieces for this particular project. In tandem with this we also began to discuss his dream of creating his own furniture collection. Through our discussions I got the distinct impression that Todd's greatest passion was designing furniture. He mentioned several times how much he disliked shopping for fabrics, flooring and wall treatments, but as an interior designer this was the proverbial necessary evil for him to have projects that also allowed him to design actual furniture.

It was during one of our lengthy conversations about design and following one's bliss that I made reference to an inspirational book entitled "This Time I Dance", by Tama J. Kieves. In the book there is a quote made by Tama that goes something like this:

"If you're this successful doing something you don't love, just imagine how successful you could be doing something you do love."

After a long pause Todd suddenly said, "That's it, man; I'm doing it."

"Doing what?" I asked.

"The furniture collection. I'm doing it. I'm not putting it off any more."

What was so shocking about his announcement was not that he had decided to move forward with making his collection, but that he was going to devote his full time and energy to it. And when I say he was committing to it full time, that meant he had simultaneously decided to shut down his flourishing interior design business in the fearless pursuit of his dream.

Up until this point the bulk of the correspondence between us had been via fax, email, or phone. In late December Todd flew up from Orlando to visit my shop for the first time. I was more than a little surprised to see him showing up in the middle of a Canadian winter wearing little more than open toe sandals.

"I always wear sandals" proclaimed Todd "No matter what."

One morning as we were driving up to my shop we came upon a car stuck in the deep snow of a ditch. I pulled over to give the guy a hand getting out, assuming that Todd (who was barefoot in his sandals) would simply wait in the truck. Todd was having none of that, and within seconds he too was knee deep in snow helping me push the guy out.

When we arrived at the shop Todd was like a kid in a candy store. Wide eyed and excited there were several times when he simply wandered off to follow his curiousity, and I'd have no idea where he was until I heard his booming voice calling out "Oohhhh Mannnn, that is soooo Coool!!!" over something incredible he had come across. We had several productive days during that visit as we worked out the details of the prototypes for his furniture collection.

In the evenings Teresa and I would have Todd over to the house for dinner, after which Todd and I would spend several more hours talking about furniture and design over beer. Invariably it would be Boddingtons or Guinness for me, while Todd's preference was for an English ale called Old Speckled Hen.

By February Todd's prototypes were well under way, and he had arranged to have the pieces photographed with an avant-garde photographer by the name of Walter Singh.

In addition to finishing up his remaining commissions and winding down his interior design business at the same time, Todd ended up scheduling himself for a long awaited surgery.

On Saturday February 28th Todd was at home recovering from the surgery, and we were having a lengthy phone discussion to review the status of his furniture pieces. At one point he unnerved me by saying "Aw Man, I'm dying."

"Don't put that out there." I remember saying. "What are you talking about anyway?"

"The pain" he lamented "It's killing me."

That ended up being the last time I ever spoke with Todd, because in the early hours of the following morning he passed away in his sleep. He died at the young age of 38, leaving behind his lovely wife Melissa, and two beautiful children: Landon and Ireland.

Although I had only gotten to know Todd over the previous few months, his passing affected me deeply. Without question Todd was an extremely talented designer who was also a visionary in many ways. But more than that he was an original; one who was both fearless and big hearted as an individual, and who absolutely adored his wife and children.

If there was any solace to come out of his passing it came from something Melissa said a few weeks after Todd died. She told me that in all the years she had known him she had never seen Todd as happy as he was in the last few months of his life as he was finally pursuing his dream. That made me all the more pleased with the decision I had already made to finish off his furniture pieces, so his dream could come to reality.

The images that follow are the first pieces Todd designed for his furniture collection. Todd carefully selected all wood grains and tones to draw emotion and consistency throughout the collection, creating a unique line that not only captures the eye artistically, but in a manner that is environmentally conscious as well. Never forgetting his roots, each piece is the namesake of beloved people, locations and memorable events from his home state, Michigan.

Baroda Cocktail Table: 48" dia x 18" high, in Zebrawood.

Hinchman End Table: 24" x 24" x 26-1/4" high, finished in Jacobean Oak.

Hinchman Throw Table: 17-1/2" dia. x 20" high, finished in Jacobean Oak.

Hinchman Console: 54" x 15" x 32-1/2" high, finished in Jacobean Oak with natural Curly English Sycamore top.

Hinchman Desk: 60" x 30" x 30-3/8" high, finished in Jacobean Oak with black Tuscany leather inset top.

Hinchman Desk: Rear View

Lakeshore Screen: 4 panels each measuring 95" high x 19-1/2" wide, finished in ebonized oak with Damask strapping.

Lakeshore Mirror: 95" high x 19-1/2" wide x 1-3/4" thick, finished in Ebonized Oak.

Tiscornia Coffee Table: 60" long x 16" wide x 17" high, finished in Jacobean Oak.

Landon Desk: 84" long x 26" wide x 30" high, finished in Mappa Burl with inset of black Tuscany leather.

Landon Desk: Rear View

A Built-In Audio/Video Wall Unit

2011-07-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Although we usually specialize in making free standing pieces of custom furniture it is not uncommon for us to also do cabinetry such as built-ins.

This audio/video wall unit is one example of something we've installed recently. Measuring 156" long x 96" high x 21" deep this unit has open shelving across the top, and door and drawer storage below.

The drawer boxes are made out of dovetailed solid maple, running on concealed Blumotion linear ball bearing slides. The false door with the black speaker cloth is designed to conceal a subwoofer.

The entire unit is finished in a satin opaque polyurethane that has been custom tinted to match the walls.

Honeycomb Cocktail Table

2011-07-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a conversation I had in 2005 with a designer by the name of Jill Salisbury, I began looking deeper into ways of incorporating Biomimicry to some of my furniture designs.

What is Biomimicry?

Biomimicry is the examination of Nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate.

The idea of imitating Nature through design was something that holds great interest for me. Before long I was sketching rudimentary table shapes that were comprised of the 6-sided hexagonal walls of a common honeycomb. Several years later this exercise resulted in a working prototype that became known as the Honeycomb Cocktail Table. The example shown here was crafted out of Chestnut Ribbon Sapele.

Measuring 45" x 45" x 16" overall height this table is comprised of 7 individual hexagonal modules, with the center unit being solid and the 6 surrounding ones each having 4 closed sides and 2 open ones, with a single adjustable shelf suspended inside each.

The theory behind this design was that each of the modules would function as individual storage pods, which could also be independently rotated towards the center in order to hide the clutter of whatever was stored inside. In this way the table would have the clean look as shown in the photo, yet conceal the fact that abundant storage capacity was available inside.

While the idea was great in theory, the practical application did not work quite as planned. The biggest problem was that any unevenness in the floor was quickly telegraphed through the pods, creating a highly uneven top surface depending on how and where these pods were placed on the floor. When all was said and done it became quite clear that this design will function best only if the pods can somehow be fastened together as a single monolith.

Another issue was price point. Given the time it took to build and finish this table it was simply not possible to make this design cost effective in a way that would justify a price point at a reasonable perceived value.

Conclusion: Although the design is cool, it`s simply not practical to produce on an ongoing basis. That said, this Honeycomb Cocktail Table is probably destined to remain as a one-off prototype.

Clean Workshop = Oxymoron?

2011-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Last week, just before the start of the long weekend, Kevin and I gave the workshop a thorough cleaning.

What started as a simple sweeping of floors and emptying of garbage cans soon snowballed into using the ShopVac to vacuum dust out of all kinds of nooks and crannies.

Three hours later the shop looked magnificent, although in all honesty I don't think we got it clean enough to ever grace the pages of Fine Woodworking magazine.

That got me to thinking that having a clean shop and having one that produces actual furniture might be two totally different things. After all, as any woodworker knows you often have to do little more than think about using a woodworking tool in order for it to start making a mess.

Every time the latest issue of Fine Woodworking comes out I find myself feeling just a little inadequate at how the shops featured in the magazine look perfectly organized and pristine to the point of rivalling the surgical cleanliness of an operating room.

I am well aware that these are photos are prepped and staged for marketing purposes but, still, I can't help but wonder why MY shop can't look like this all the time. In practical terms the only way to achieve this would be to never use the tools at all, which defeats the whole purpose of having a workshop in the first place. Hence, the oxymoron.

For now I'll just look forward to walking into a clean shop in the morning, so we can start messing it up all over again.

Testimonials and Referrals

2011-07-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Currently we are in the process of updating the design of our website.

One area I have been looking to expand is the Testimonials and Referrals page. On that note I have been pleasantly surprised at the positive and enthusiastic response we've received from many of our customers.

Some examples are as follows:

“John's work is truly extraordinary! Working through Vivavi we explained the concept of our home, the lighting we had chosen for our bedroom and how much we loved one of the beds that he had designed. He melded these ideas and created a highly contemporary art deco inspired bedroom suite with a very exotic veneer he selected for our project. We were blown away by his final design and the actual pieces were beyond measure in their perfection. There are no words to describe it's beauty or the positive change it brings to our daily life. It inspires us and helps us to come together as a couple. We are blessed by John's work.”

Ara Lucia A. and Michael A.
Greater Chicago area, Illinois

***

"There are maybe a handful of people in the world who can create at the level John does."

J. Wade Beam
VP Sales and Marketing
Brueton Industries, Inc.
New York, New York

***

John:

"Thank you so much for the wonderful desk you made for me. It surpassed my expectations in both beauty and quality. Your customization of the design fits my needs perfectly and it receives daily notice for its seamless lines and gentle but bold curves."

Dr. Sean Boutros, MD, FACS
Houston, Texas

***

"Several years ago we were introduced to John Wiggers through a designer in Chicago and were very happy with several pieces he made to order for us. When we hired a design firm to do our home in Florida we insisted that the designer use Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. for as much of the woodwork as possible. My only mistake is that we did not insist that he do all the wood furniture in the home. The quality, craftsmanship, attention to detail was amazing. You can see and feel the difference between John’s work and the other pieces in our home. Everyone who comes to our home comments on how magnificent John's pieces are and are amazed at not only the appearance but the substance and quality of the woodwork. Our designer could not understand how we could use some one from Canada when he had local craftsman available to do the work. Now he knows better."

Arleen and Ken G.
Chicago, Illinois

***

"I have worked with Wiggers Custom Furniture for over 20 years, and am continually impressed with John's design sensibility, customer service, and attention to detail. John is always sensitive to the goals of the project, and offers continual design improvements through his tremendous experience and creative eye. His pieces are much more than simply furniture - they communicate the joy and commitment to artistic creation that are the vanguard of his work. I am honored to work with Wiggers Custom Furniture on any project, anywhere in the world, as I know the standards will always of the highest caliber."

Bob Halper, LC IESNA
Halper Lighting Solutions
Chagrin Falls, Ohio

***

"John is one of the finest furniture makers around."

Vladimir Kagan
Vladimir Kagan Design Group, Inc.
New York, New York, USA

***

“Wiggers Custom is an excellent source for custom furniture product. They have the best mix of technology, craftsmanship, and finish quality. John takes a personal interest in his customers and stays involved throughout the process. He brings great experience and production knowledge to each project; you can always count on the integrity of whatever his company makes.”

Mark Logan
Vice President
Dakota Jackson Inc.
New York, New York

***

"For over 10 years I had the pleasure of working with Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd.
I found their work to be of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. They always provided expertise in the construction details and manufacturing, thus providing our clients with the most creative furniture available. In my 35 years of experience in the high end American furniture market I never found any manufacturer who produced a
more beautiful finished piece of contemporary furniture than Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd."

Dale Leland Mardiros
Pacific Showrooms West
San Francisco, California

***

"In my experience as a designer of high end residential, it is imperative to find great artisans to partner with.

John Wiggers raises the bar in every aspect of the custom design process.

It is a pleasure to work with his team and the level of client services his company delivers time after time is tops in the industry."

Olga Markoff
Olga Markoff Design
Chicago, Illinois

***

"This is a short note to thank you for producing the beautiful, oval, black walnut boxes for presentation to the recipients of the Women's Health Research Awards, 2004 - and to thank you for making them under such a tight deadline!

The boxes were presented at a reception to honour the women and men who are leading the way in women's health research in Ontario, and we were delighted to be able to give the beautiful work of an Ontario artist to each of them.

Several recipients have contacted us since the reception to tell us how much they admired the box. It turned out to be the perfect way to acknowledge all of the work they are doing on behalf of Ontario women.

Thank you again for your wonderful work."

Marnie MacKinnon
Chief Operating Officer
Ontario Women's Health Council
Toronto, Ontario

***

Dear John,

"It was a pleasure dealing with you for our order of 16 pieces from your beautiful selection. Whatever custom detail we could dream up, you found a way to put it in reality.

When the U.S. government formally put formaldehyde on the list of known carcinogens on June 10, 2011 (finally!), you must have smiled - and so did we. You have been so much ahead of your time. Thanks to your foresight and care, we could enjoy your pieces from day one without headaches from outgassing and knowing that we purchased truly “healthy” furniture.

Whether it is the wonderful sunburst design of our two Ellipse tables; the fact they are made from sustainable bamboo; the brilliantly manufactured Inamorata nightstands. dresser and boxer chest; the elegant Irenic beds including the clever height adjustment you came up with; the versatility of the Island Tables - it’s more than just excellent workmanship - these are pieces of art made for practical use.

And, not to forget, this furniture comes with a “soul” created by all the spiritual details you put in your work: the Amboyna inlays from the Solomon Islands or the sacred stone in the beds’ headboards, just to name a few.

Thanks again for all your assistance from the planning stages up to the day you personally delivered the beauties into our home."

Kind regards,
H. Meissner
Florida

***

“I have had the privilege of working with John Wiggers, whose passion for high quality craftsmanship and sustainability are contagious. We have shared many inspirational conversations that have resulted in a trust that is unshakeable. John has beautifully crafted my challenging furniture designs with every infinite detail mastered and an environmental integrity that is unmatched by any other.”

Jill Salisbury
el: Environmental Language
Chicago, Illinois

***

"We just finished building a custom home and had been searching for the "perfect" desk for our new home office. We wanted something that was original in style, made to last a lifetime and not too large. It was impossible to find something ready-made that fit all of our criteria. We contacted John and within a few days he had prepared detailed drawings for us to consider. After some fine tuning, we quickly settled on our perfect desk. The desk is flawless and looks exactly as drawn, down to the last detail."

Barry S.
Toronto, Ontario

***

John:

"We wanted you to know how appreciative we are of all the assistance you have provided for us in the manufacturing of our furniture line. Your expertise and knowledge of construction methods, the properties of various wood species, and the techniques available for intricate and complex finishes has been an invaluable asset to our (Shaver/Melahn) furniture division.

Your work goes well beyond the often-difficult task of manufacturing. You have always been there to guide us through design alternatives, providing solutions to design problems and corrections to flaws in concept. As we were designing in the United States you were able to see flaws in prototype and send out red flags warning us of possible problems.

You also kept our price points in mind always trying to deliver product at a level commensurate with the quality and high standards our furniture line demanded. Should you ever need a reference please know that we would be honored to pass on our recommendation of your excellent work."

Rick Shaver and Lee Melahn
Pleasant Living
Madison, Wisconsin

***

"I recently had been retained by one of my Los Angeles clients to do the interior of their home in Toronto. I initially thought I would have to make all the furniture in Los Angeles by my cabinetmakers and finishers and have them shipped and installed in the Toronto location. Through a very good reference, I was given the name of John Wiggers of Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. I sent him our plans for many built-ins and furniture pieces, mainly done in exotic and rare woods, and requiring either a low-VOC high-polished or polyurethane finish, which is very difficult to find a manufacturer that is able to do it.

I contracted with John to make and install all of the pieces that I required. During the process, I went to his shop and saw how beautiful he was set up and how clean and organized it was, and knew at that time I was going to receive, from John, quality of the highest level for all cabinetwork and finishing.

When the furniture and cabinets were completed, his workmanship excelled my greatest expectations and my clients were extremely pleased. I wish John would open a shop in Los Angeles, because of the quality of his work, and how pleasant he is to deal with."

Stephen Tomar, ASID, CCIDC
Tomar Lampert Associates
Los Angeles, California

***

"On a recent project I chose Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. because I knew their quality and expertise was to the high standard my client required. I have to say their ability went way beyond my expectation. I was able to customize each piece - choose from their extensive range of woods and veneers, stains/finishes and hardware.

John's knowledge of his profession and his company's customer service is an asset to the clients who want the very best - his concern for a green approach and his thinking behind some of his designs - like the Solomon's Desk, is awesome.

The finished pieces are exquisite and to top it off the packaging, which was for overseas, was of the same standard. Each piece will be enjoyed for many, many years.

Thank you for making it such a pleasure to work with your company and know that we will always receive furniture that is perfect."

Heather Tomei
Tomei & Tomei Creative Consultants Limited
Maui, Hawaii

***

"John Wiggers is one of the best furniture makers I have ever met. He is one of only a few that I truly trust with our designs. His dedication to quality construction, material selection, fine finishes, and his sensitivity to design and detail is unmatched in the high-end custom furniture industry. His finished pieces are of an heirloom quality, so rare with today's "throw-away" attitudes. Very, very impressive."

Lee Weitzman
Lee Weitzman Furniture
Chicago, Illinois

***

"My husband and I decided to upgrade from a double to a queen sized bed, but were discouraged by the poor quality and questionable materials of today’s mass-produced furniture. Thus, we decided to have a new bed built that matched our current suite, with the additional criteria of sustainable and nontoxic practices. John Wiggers exceeded our expectations on all counts. John worked closely with us, providing detailed design drawings and photos by email. The Irenic Bed design was adjusted to our exact specifications, and was beautifully constructed such that the grain of the oak veneer radiates in an arc, providing a visually spectacular head and footboard. The materials used are FSC certified, the plywood core and glue are urea formaldehyde free, and the wood was darkened naturally with a vinegar/iron process. John and his son delivered our bed and assisted with its setup. We couldn’t be more pleased with the ease of the process and the final result. We highly recommend commissioning custom furniture from this talented, environmentally conscious, and service oriented craftsman!"

Kimberly and Mark Z.
Peterborough, Ontario

My Brother Turns 50 Today !!!

2011-07-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

My brother Richard turns 50 years old today.

The photo above was taken just before he was born. It shows me sitting on my father's workbench, with my very pregnant mother off to one side. (Richard is hiding in there somewhere).

When you're young an age difference of 2 years between siblings is tremendous. Although Richard and I would often hang out and do stuff together, the usual routine was for each of us to do things with neighbour kids closer to our respective ages.

Of course, the one good thing about being Canadian and having a younger brother at that age was that you were always guaranteed to have a goalie for road hockey games. (Even if he didn't want to play, you knew that as his older brother you could always talk, threaten or bribe him into playing net anyway).

As kids our respective personalities could not have been more different. I was always seen as "the serious one", while Richard was adored for his laughter and light-heartedness. In the summertime I was often outside building things like forts out of scraps of wood. Richard, on the other hand, loved books and reading - especially about anything related to history and war. On that note it's little wonder that each of us has ended up on our respective career paths, with Richard going on to earn a Phd. in History at Georgetown.

Along the way Richard adopted an almost nomadic approach to life. Since his late teens I don't think he's ever lived more than 3 consecutive years in any one place. As a result: over the past 30 years he has been a constant traveller - in many cases journeying around the world, often on a diplomatic passport. He has lived and worked in many interesting far flung places, many of which I'll probably never get to see.

Yet, when we get together on holidays I sometimes wonder if he envies a bit of the life I have, with the routine and "stability" of being rooted in one place with my family and work. While that may be true in terms of what he feels, I have to admit there are also days when the grind and responsibility of running a small business has me wishing for a bit of Richard's joie de vivre approach to life.

And, so, to my brother Richard I wish you a Happy 50th Birthday !!!

Although we have already been in touch with one another a couple times today, I can honestly say that at this moment I do not know where, exactly, you are on this planet right now. Yes, my nomadic brother is on the move once again.

That said, it goes without saying that even on this day he is being true to the spirit of who he is, and that is exactly as it should be.

Enjoy your day, Richard !

Love, your brother John.

(P.S. Did you want to play road hockey later? We need a goalie.)

One Year Blogiversary

2011-06-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 1st anniversary of starting this blog.

After one year and 213 posts (Wow, has it been that many?) it's time to declare: Happy Anniversary to "Musings of a Furniture Maker"!

In addition to this blog I have also made a few other changes in the past year with respect to my marketing efforts via social media. I have also joined Linkedin, Custommade and Twitter, and started a Facebook fan page for Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. Recently I have also started a parallel blog at Wordpress.

If I've learned anything in the past year regarding blogging and social media, it's that the efforts involved can be very time consuming. While my work days are typically spent dealing with the nuts and bolts of running a custom furniture business, my evenings now seem to be focussed on blogging and digital marketing.

My biggest motivator for making these efforts has been to market my work more effectively. Markets today are transforming rapidly, and in recent years it has become painfully apparent that many of the old ways of doing business are obsolete and falling to the wayside. Traditional "mortar and bricks" showrooms have seen sales declines that have literally fallen off a cliff. Virtual showrooms and other forms of marketing via social media, meanwhile, have generated results that I never could have foreseen as recently as 5 years ago.

Is all of this extra effort paying off? At this stage it's difficult to tell, but I can say that my shop is busier now than it was at this time last year - so something must be working.

Probably the biggest thing I've learned is that although social media can be an effective tool for marketing it is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to generating sales. If I could somehow manage to create a Facebook fan page that had 1,000,000 fans, for example - so what? From a business standpoint what good is it to have a million fans if not one of them is doing a lick of business with you?

When it comes to transacting actual business it seems that the paradigm is fundamentally no different than it has ever been: namely delivering quality and service to your customer. Yes, social media has changed the means by which we can now REACH our customers, but the basics of quality and service still rule.

In addition to celebrating the first anniversary of this blog tonight, there is one other anniversary taking place in my world today. Namely, it was exactly 28 years ago tonight that my wife and I went out on our first date.

And, so, while I am now sipping a Guinness and tapping out the 213th post to my "Musings of a Furniture Maker" blog, it was 28 years ago tonight that I was sitting in a cinema with my date - watching "War Games"; starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy.

Happy 28th first date anniversary to Teresa, and Happy 1st blog post anniversary to "Musings of a Furniture Maker" !

In Memory of My Sister-in-Law, Wendy Forbes

2011-06-22T04:19:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today my sister-in-law Wendy Forbes passed away. A serendipitous moment that took place shortly after her funeral ended up inspiring me to write a small article in her memory.

At first this was only intended to be shared with family and friends, but before long the story began to take on a life of its own as it got passed along to friends of friends, colleagues of Wendy etc. Before long it was also published in a local newspaper. This was truly a testament to how many people in the community were touched by Wendy's life, and by her passing.

Now, on the second anniversary of her death, I am reposting the story again here.

Rest in peace, Wendy. The memory of you is still very much alive, and your beloved granddaughter Ashleigh is growing up wonderfully!

My sister-in-law Wendy Forbes passed away this week, and I am writing this to share an amazing serendipity that happened last night which relates directly to her.

I've known Wendy for almost as long as I've known my wife Teresa, which is 26 years. Wendy was married to Teresa's oldest brother Mike, and given that Teresa has nine brothers and sisters, Wendy became somewhat of a matriarch early on to the Forbes family -- especially to the youngest siblings.

Wendy was blonde and petite and a restless bundle of energy -- with a disposition very much akin to the Energizer Bunny. She was always busy doing something, usually involving the organization of various family events. Whether it was Thanksgiving, Christmas dinners, Easter, weddings, birthdays, family picnics, parties or any other excuse for people to gather, you could always count on Wendy to be immersed in the thick of the workload to get things done and make sure everyone was having a good time.

Wendy also had more than her share of sadness and tragedy in life, including the passing of her dear mother-in-law Betty in 1995; followed by her own mother passing away unexpectedly shortly thereafter; the breakup of her marriage to Mike; meeting, then losing (to cancer) the love of her life Paul Farquharson a few years ago; plus raising her own children as a single mom while holding a full-time job and caring for a bed-ridden father who was himself injured in a car accident. Although Wendy's challenges would have crushed most lesser beings with greater ease, Wendy bravely continued onward as if undaunted.

Through it all, one of her greatest joys was dancing and one song in particular stood out amongst all others: namely Rasputin by the band Boney M.

Regardless of where you were, once you heard that song begin to play all you had to do was look to the dance floor and you knew you would find Wendy dancing her Cossack dance in tune with the music. Invariably it became Wendy with the floor to herself, surrounded by friends and loved ones clapping in tune to the music while Wendy danced. There were times where her ability to dance and high kick (in heels, no less) would defy gravity.

Last year, Wendy was overjoyed to become a grandmother for the first time, to a baby girl named Ashleigh. Not long afterwards, a routine doctor's visit to check out an annoying cough resulted in a shocking diagnosis: Wendy had lung cancer. Even worse, the particular cancer Wendy was diagnosed with was especially aggressive with almost zero hope for recovery. Chemotherapy would buy time, but not a cure.

Wendy decided to undergo the treatments because she resolved herself to being on hand to witness her granddaughter's first birthday. And while Wendy's condition rapidly deteriorated in recent months, she did manage to achieve her goal. Then last Monday, less than a week later, Wendy passed away peacefully in her sleep. While the news was expected and somewhat inevitable, it still came as a shock. The remainder of the week became a flurry of activity to make the necessary phone calls, finalize arrangements, attend visitations and finally, on Thursday, lay Wendy to rest.

True to Wendy's organized and giving nature, she had already made arrangements to host a reception at her favourite restaurant following the funeral ceremony. She also made sure that a round of drinks on her was taken care of at the reception. Wendy was true to being Wendy, even after she was gone.

Then last night, a group of us ended up attending a charity fundraising dinner/dance to raise money in support of Hearth Place, a local organization committed to supporting cancer patients. While plans to attend this event had been made months in advance, it just happened to take place a mere two days after we buried Wendy. In some way, all of us were relieved to go, because most of us were drained at the week's events and were happy to have an evening where someone else was looking after meals, cleaning up, etc.

The weather was a perfectly warm summer's evening, and the venue of an empty hangar at the local municipal airport could not have been better. The hangar doors were wide open, which made the space feel like a giant gazebo. A vintage Beaver Seaplane was parked outside, along with a number of vintage 1970s muscle cars -- in keeping with the retro 1970s theme of the evening.

There were raffles and live auctions planned for the evening, and around the perimeter of the space were countless tables holding items for Silent Auction. There were all the usual goods such as gift certificates, clothing etc., and I had my eye of a pair of field-level Toronto Blue Jays tickets, as well as a stainless steel Budweiser beer cooler.

As Teresa and I walked around the tables we came upon an anonymous donation of a hand-knit afghan, on top of which sat a white stuffed Teddy bear. Attached to the bear was a tag that read: "The Wendy Bear." The inside of the tag read as follows:

"The Wendy Bear is being sold in memory of Wendy Sittler -- the very special late wife of hockey legend Darryl Sittler ... The money raised from the sale of The Wendy Bear will go towards helping terminally-ill patients spend time at home with their loved ones. Because Wendy was such a kind, caring and generous individual, we dedicate this bear in her memory."

Teresa and I looked at each other and we both had goosebumps. Not only did this bear share the same name as our Wendy, but Darryl Sittler was one of her heroes as captain of her beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. In addition, the description of Wendy Sittler was equally applicable to "our" Wendy. Teresa wasted no time in grabbing the pen to place the opening bid on this bear.

As the evening progressed, Teresa made an effort to keeps tabs on how the bids were progressing. While she told me she didn't really care if she won it or not, I knew what she really meant was that she wanted the bear. And, so, I abandoned my bids for the tickets and cooler and focussed on winning the bear. Despite a flurry of activity near the end of the evening, we ended up with the winning bid.

After paying for this item, I brought the bear and afghan back to the table and Teresa was clearly overjoyed. She wrapped herself in the afghan while others in our group took turns checking out the stuffed bear.

And then, it happened. Whatever song had been playing came to a close, and the familiar drum riff that opened Rasputin began to play. All of us looked at each other with absolute shock, with one saying "O.M.G., I cannot believe this is happening." Needless to say with The Wendy Bear in our hands, and Rasputin beginning to play, there was no question we all had to get up to dance. And, yes, even I, who in 26 years had never danced once with our Wendy while she was alive (and for good reason, since I cannot dance,) I too got up to dance. Our whole table was on the floor.

We danced in a circle and the girls took turns dancing with The Wendy Bear -- invariably kicking this stuffed bear's legs high the way our Wendy used to do. My brother-in-law John took photos, and if he's reading this, I'll remind him that there are "Terms of Use" policies that prohibit him from publishing photos of me dancing, due to the offensive nature of such material.

Afterwards everyone talked about how "weird" it was for such a coincidence to happen, and there was speculation that one of us requested for the song to be played. All of us swore emphatically that this was not the case. The song just "happened", seemingly by chance.

While some might dismiss this as a mere coincidence, my feeling is that on some level, this was Wendy's way of saying good-bye. And rather than going out on a sad note, she did so by finding a way to express herself in the final act of dancing to the song that gave her the greatest joy.

To the anonymous donor of the knit afghan and The Wendy Bear, I would like to say thank you for your kind heart and warm generosity. Your efforts last night are measured in ways far greater than the dollars you raised for a worthy cause. You helped give closure to a number of people by enabling us to say good-bye to the tragic loss of a loved one in the best way possible.

And to Wendy, I say goodbye and we love you. While the pain of your passing may eventually be healed with time, you can never be replaced. You will be missed and always be dear to our hearts.

http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/article/131395

Storage Crates for Preserving Jars

2011-06-10T08:29:00.001-07:00

A few years ago my wife started putting some serious effort into maintaining an organic garden and preserving many of the vegetables we harvest from there. Every year our biggest challenge is keeping the local groundhogs and rabbits from using this garden as a personal buffet.

While there is no shortage of fresh vegetables to be enjoyed during the summer months, we've come to realize that it's also good to preserve some of the bounty that we don't eat for the wintertime.

This has resulted in the accumulation of many boxes of preserving jars in recent years, and as I soon discovered these things become quite heavy and cumbersome once the jars are filled with preserves. To properly store and organize these boxes I ended up designing and making some simple plywood stacking crates.

About a week ago my wife posted pictures of these crates at a site called Ravelry.com, and given the positive feedback these things received I've decided to create a blog post to explain in detail how they are made.

The drawing above shows in detail the cutlist of materials, plus how to assemble these boxes. The example shown was designed to hold a case of 12 x 1 litre (approximately 1 quart) jars. I would urge anyone who is thinking of making these for themselves to BUY THEIR CASES OF JARS FIRST, before making the crates - the reason being that there are no consistent sizes of jars and/or cardboard boxes for holding the jars, even from the same manufacturer. That said, the sizes provided should be adjusted to the ACTUAL ones you get.

To make crates for other jar sizes please adjust this drawing accordingly.

In this instance (for the case of 12 x 1 litre jars) the exterior dimensions of the cardboard box is 15-3/4" long by 11-5/8" wide by 7-1/8" high. On the length I added 1-5/8" to the interior size to allow for 1/8" of clearance plus 2 thicknesses of 3/4" styrofoam at each end. (The styrofoam inserts will be explained later). On the interior width an allowance of 1/8" for clearance was made, while on the height I allowed a full 1" of clearance to allow for clearance of Skid Rails (that lock the crates to one another when they're stacked), plus allow for the cardboard lids to be folded closed without putting any pressure onto the tops of the sealed jars in the process.

The crates are constructed out of 3/8" thick standard Fir or Spruce plywood sheeting, which is available at almost any building supply store.

Please note that there are no consistent thicknesses to plywood sheeting either, so the cutlist provided (which is based on the assumption of 3/8" material thicknesses) may need to be adjusted for compensate for thickness variations in the actual material you use.

The cutlist is shown in the upper right corner of the attached drawing. Because of how thin the plywood material is it is not practical to try screwing these crates together. I used a wood glue called Titebond 3 to glue the ends to the sides, with fine brad nails (staples can also be used) to hold the pieces together while the glue sets up.

The bottom was then attached using glue and brad nails, and the corners were then braced with Vertical Cleats that were glued and brad nailed over the butt joints as shown. After the boxes were assembled a pair of Skid Rails were attached to the underside of the bottoms to allow the crates to nest securely on top of one another. The Skid Rails should be carefully sized and positioned so that the crates can get stacked evenly on top of each other, without binding.

Before assembling the ends to the sides I machined a pair of cutouts into the ends that would function as handles. For fun I used an inverted pyramid shape cut out with a router. At each end of the cardboard box (between the box and the plywood end of the crate) I inserted a 3/4" thick piece of styrofoam with a "V" shaped cutout to allow clearance for fingers when reaching in and out.

Hopefully this information is helpful to anyone wishing to make these for themselves.

Kidney Shaped Desk - The Story Behind Its Creation

2011-06-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

In 2002 I was experimenting with ideas that would ultimately manifest as the Kidney Shaped Desk. My initial concept was an organic form that would incorporate a variety of green and holistic elements into the design. Given that Feng Shui principles consider a kidney shape to be most auspicious for use as a desk, I used this as my starting point.

During a visit to Miami in April of that year I floated the idea to Amelia Hyde and Monroe Sherman, who were partners in a showroom called Carriage House which was then representing my work in South Florida. Amy seemed quite receptive to the idea, which was no surprise given her interest in spiritual philosophies such as Tao and Zen Buddhism.

About a week after my return Amy called and asked me to explain more about the Ayurveda I was talking about during my visit. I didn't have a clue what she was referring to and told her I could barely pronounce the word, let alone spell it. But for some reason Amy insisted that I had talked at length about Ayurveda and as she described what it was about she mentioned the connection of Ayurveda to yoga, and the connection of yoga to a famous supermodel and yoga practitioner by the name of Christy Turlington.

As soon as she mentioned Christy's name I heard my fax line ring. It was an incoming fax from New York, from a furniture designer by the name of Vladimir Kagan. He was inviting me to a special party being held later that month. The invitation was for an event being hosted by Ralph Pucci in his Manhattan loft, which would be a joint unveiling of Vladimir Kagan's furniture pieces alongside a new line of yoga inspired clothing by Christy Turlington.

Because of this unusual coincidence I decided to trust my intuition and immediately decided to accept. Since the party coincided with a major New York design show called the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) that I was planning to attend anyway, the logistics worked out perfectly.

After arriving at the designated address in lower Manhattan I stepped out of the cab thinking I was in the wrong location. I had been told that Pucci's loft was magnificent, but the neighbourhood I was standing in was anything but. Nevertheless a discrete elevator ride to the loft soon confirmed that I was at the proper venue.

As soon as the elevator doors opened I was greeted with a palpable buzz of energy and excitment. Scattered throughout the 15,000 sq. ft. minimalist loft were countless bisque mannequins that were essentially full-scale reproductions of Christy Turlington herself. These mannequins were shown in a variety of different yoga poses and, naturally, each was also attired in various examples of Christy's new clothing collection, called Nuala.

At the far end of the loft Vladimir Kagan was holding court amongst examples of his classic furniture collection. As soon as Vladimir saw me walk in he called me over and gave a big hug. It was wonderful to be greeted in this manner by such a design legend, because I had long admired his work.

When I was younger I used to enjoy reading various design publications to see examples of the most beautiful and exquisite furniture pieces ever made. A Rosewood desk by Vladimir Kagan had long been one of my favorites, and never could I have imagined at the time that one day I would be working with this icon to build some of his actual furniture.

As I walked around the loft and mingled with other guests I began to ponder the coincidence of being invited to this party. At one point I did get introduced to Christy, and did have a brief conversation with her. While our discussion did not provide any particular answer or overt moment of enlightenment for me, I was definitely struck by Christy's open sincerity and genuineness. She is one of the very few people I have ever met who have an aura of presence that absolutely radiates positive energy.

By the end of the evening I left party pondering the enigma of attending an event that displayed beautiful, sculptural furniture alongside an ancient holistic principle such as yoga. When considering Ayurveda as the thread connecting the two, how would it be possible to merge them together as one?

The answer, I soon discovered, lay with someone I already knew.

Diana Beresford-Kroeger is an award winning author, independent scientist and passionate environmentalist living near Ottawa, Canada. On a secluded rural property shared with her husband Christian, Diana has spent many years and considerable effort researching and documenting the interconnected relationships that exist between trees and forests, and the wildlife that abounds within.

She is highly regarding for her illuminating and seminal work, and amongst her many admirers are colleagues such as E.O. Wilson of Harvard. In the 1960s Wilson effectively became the founding grandfather of the global environmental movement when he first coined the phrase "bio-diversity".

I first learned about Diana in 1999 when I read a newspaper article describing her "Millenium Project". The vision of this project was to share and distribute seeds from Diana's collection of rare and endangered tree species. By doing this she hoped to establish new living examples of genetic strains that were at risk of becoming extinct.

In addition, by distributing these seeds widely it was also hoped that the resulting seedlings would become isolated pockets of bio-diversity, as well as a form of insurance policy in case disease, blight or other disaster happened to wipe out the sentinel trees that provided the original genetic material. Since in some cases there were only singular examples of these rare trees known to exist, this was a very valid and noble ambition.

Her "Millenium Project" sounded brilliant, and I contacted her to learn how I could participate. At the time I was in the planning stages of building a new shop, and the notion of introducing rare and unusual trees to the property seemed like a perfect one. Diana helped develop a bioplan for what I was intending to create, and over time our discussions evolved into an ever expanding exchange of ideas.

After my return from New York I continued to wrestle with the idea of how to meld holistic Ayurvedic principles with sculpture furniture design. Simultaneously I was talking with Diana about her latest book manuscript, entitled "Arboretum America". She was having great difficulty getting this book published, and in an effort to get the word out she went to great lengths describing what the book was intending to say.

I listened with great interest as Diana explained the book, and how each of the 20 tree species described within were presented by way of their biological eco-function within the larger global garden. My interest was piqued further as Diana explained how each tree had a particular holistic attribute, or "gift".

Apparently much of the information collected by Diana had originally come from Native American elders and healers. Her desire to document this traditional wisdom was driven by the fact that many of these elders were quite old, and once they died they would take their knowledge with them to the grave. Considering that most indigenous cultures base their information sharing and retention on oral tradition -with very little being written down - it was quite apparent that once this knowledge was lost it would be lost forever.

Eager to help Diana get her book published I invited her to an informal gathering that was to take place in Ottawa later that year, in conjunction with an FSC Canada board meeting being held there. Given that the event would be filled almost exclusively with people interested in protecting the forest, I felt certain that something beneficial for Diana would unfold.

On Saturday October 19th a number of us were gathered at the home of one of the Board members, who happened to live nearby. Diana and her husband Christian were in attendance as well, but before long it appeared that the evening would not unfold as hoped for.

After a day of intensive Board meetings most people were simply looking to unwind. Diana, on the other hand, was quietly eager to network and find means of clearing hurdles to her book. But aside from some polite discussion and general exchange of ideas no one was expressing any serious interest in her research. I felt disappointed that they may have wasted their time coming here.
At one point, however, one of the Board members was casually flipping through the manuscript when something caught her eye. In describing the medicine of a tree called Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), Diana had pointed out that this tree's active molecules (known scientifically as ellagitannins) were currently at the leading edge of ongoing research into finding a cure for cancer. Apparently Native American medicine women had discovered through many years of trial, error and observation that this tree's natural properties were helpful in preventing disease.

Within minutes several women were tightly huddled around the book, reading with intense fascination. I glanced over to where Diana and Christian were sitting, and exchanged a smile. Not only had a catalyst been found to suddenly pique interest in the manuscript but I too had discovered, by default, the vehicle for melding Ayurvedic principles with sculptural furniture design.

Why not create furniture that incorporated discrete inlays of holistic woods, and let these examples become a tangible and tactile means of communicating the same message that Diana was trying to say on paper?

In the months that followed my ideas surrounding this concept continued to swirl in my mind. Ultimately they became manifest in a design called the Kidney Shaped Desk. Using careful mathematics and sacred geometric proportions based on Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra principles, this desk was also designed to utilize discrete inlays of wood that were ultimately suited to their particular holistic attributes.

For example, special cuttings of Black Walnut would be used to make finger pulls on the underside of drawers. In this way the act of opening the drawers would allow the active molecules of the wood to come into contact with one's skin, where the molecules could be naturally absorbed into the pores. Inside the pencil drawer woods such as Hawthorn and Sassafras would be incorporated for their natural holistic and aroma-therapeutic properties. The scents of these woods would accumulate naturally inside the drawer while it was closed - and released each time the drawer was opened.

For the time that her manuscript remained unpublished, Diana asked me to sit on the information. Her concern was that if the knowledge was shared too early it might scuttle publication of the book. Out of respect, I complied. In the meantime the hiatus gave me ample opportunity to tweak and fine tune the proportions of the desk until everything was perfect.

It wasn't until the following year that Diana called to say that University of Michigan Press had committed to publishing her book. At this stage she also gave me the green light to proceed with the desk, and help communicate the medicinal knowledge of the trees.

"It's time", she said.

Although eager to see this design manifest into reality, I was in no financial position to undertake the building of a prototype simply because it seemed like a great idea. Unless a buyer could be found who would commit to buying the finished piece before it was made, this design would have to be shelved indefinitely.

Little did I know that within days a buyer would end up appearing, in the form of a design visionary by the name of Todd Marckese.

I first met Todd while exhibiting at the Chicago Design Show in 1998. At the time he was principal of Marckese Design Studio in Orlando, Florida. His client list was prestigious and his work was recognised in many design publications including Architectural Digest, Florida Design and Showboats International.

Todd was exploring the idea of branding his own furniture collection, and he asked if I might be interested in doing product development and prototyping with him. We exchanged business cards, but it would be almost 5 years before we spoke again.

When he called in the summer of 2003, Todd asked if I remembered our conversation in Chicago. I did, largely because of the unusual business card he left behind. Measuring just over 2 inches square this card stuck out both literally and figuratively. Todd laughed at my observation, pointing out that it was necessary to be different in order to be remembered.

Todd went on to say that he was working on an upscale residence and the project required many unique pieces of custom furniture design. One of the pieces he was looking for was a desk, but it came with the proviso that his clients had strong holistic inclinations and, therefore, a conventional desk would not work.

As he described the parameters of the project my interest level piqued because it seemed the Kidney Shaped Desk design I had been tweaking for almost a year would meet the specifications perfectly. I faxed him the drawings and explained in detail the holistic attributes of the various woods I was intending to use as inlay.

After presenting the proposal to his clients, they fell in love with the idea and ended up commissioning the desk. The resulting piece measured 75" x 35" x 31-3/4" overall height.

The main structure was crafted from FSC certified ply, and laminated with Macassar Ebony veneer. The inset of black Tuscany leather was bordered with a radiating grain pattern of wood that was cut to allow it to cascade like a waterfall down the vertical sides of the apron. The plinths on the legs were satin stainless steel.

Inset into the back of the desk were 3 drawers crafted from solid cherry. These drawers were mounted to the Macassar drawer fronts my means of sliding dovetail construction.

Inside the pencil drawer was a pair of trays made of a wood called Sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Sassafras carries within it an oil based complex of compounds that are naturally saturated within the wood itself - both as a wax and as oil. Through handling and the bumping action of contents (i.e. pencils and pens) rolling against the fibers of this wood, the oils contained within the Sassafras are released as an aerosol each time the tray is opened and exposed to air.

The oil of the Sassafras is related to Myrrh, one of the legendary woods of the ancient world. Sassafras is also the wood used for spiritual cleansing by many tribes of North American indigenous peoples, in the traditional sweat lodge ceremony.

Centered between the trays is a small storage compartment crafted from a block of rare wood known as Hawthorn (Crataegus). Hawthorn is a traditional healing wood that has been used in medicinal practice for a considerable period of time. It was well known to the ancient Greek herbalists, and records indicate that it has been used in Ayurvedic medicine dating back almost 5,000 years.

Hawthorn is an aroma-therapeutic healing wood since it produces an aerosol of complex compounds - all of which are medicinal. The primary benefit of the aroma-therapeutic properties of the Hawthorn is to help alleviate stress and strengthen the heart. According to Diana Beresford-Kroeger this aerosol is considered to be a tonic to the human body, since it helps to promote an overall feeling of well-being. This state increases the ability of the deep centers of the brain to promote increased and clearer thinking.

The Hawthorn storage compartment was covered with a lid that was crafted from the same cutting of Black Walnut used to make the inlaid finger pulls on the underside of the drawers. Set into the face of the lid were inlays of the three traditional healing metals of gold, silver and copper. Working with a jeweller these precious metals custom crafted into the shapes of an Eagle, Turtle and the sacred Tree of Life, respectively.

Collectively these 3 images tell the aboriginal story of Creation, which is essentially a parable that tells of the emergence into the current world after the previous one was destroyed by a great Flood.

Flood legends are found in the mythology of most ancient civilizations; from the Sumerians, Babylonians and Egyptians of the Middle East, to India, China and in the Americas in the myths of the Mayans, Aztecs, Hopi and numerous other Native American tribes. In Western society the most recognised of these legends is the story of Noah and the Ark, as recounted in Biblical story of Genesis.

Inamorata Casegoods - The Story Behind Their Creation

2011-06-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

A few years ago we received a special commission to make a custom Irenic Bed out of East Indian Laurel. In addition to the bed the clients were keen on having some complementary casegoods made - namely a pair of dressers and a pair of night stands.

Inspired by the sweeping arc of the bed design we conceptualized a casegood profile that would emulate the silhouette of the Diego Humidor.

The resulting casegoods are shown below. To counterbalance the warmth of the wood we introduced the coolness of steel through the use of large polished steel pulls. Given the vibrant presence of the wood grain it was necessary to make the size of the custom pulls substantial, with the grips and detailing crafted out of black rubber.

The back of the main dresser was fully finished, which is a standard feature incorporated into all of our custom furniture designs.

The tall chest shown below was initially conceived of as a shorter dresser until a problem was discovered with how the builder proportioned the master bedroom. This unexpected glitch was quickly resolved with the suggestion that we transform the dresser into a vertical chest of drawers, thereby allowing it to fit a niche in the room.

Once again the back is fully finished.

Each of the night stands has a single drawer, with storage below for books.

In tandem with this we crafted another version of the Irenic Bed as shown below - this time out of natural Cherry. Because of the subtleness of the Cherry grain we decided to cut the wood at slight angles to create a radiating pattern to symbolize a rising Sun.

For this commission the client requested large center drawers on the dresser, and smaller cubbie drawers on each side. Since the wood grain of the Cherry was not as pronounced as the East Indian Laurel, a more subdued satin nickel pull was selected.

This 7 drawer cabinet is called a semainaire, which is derived from a French word used to describe a lady's lingerie chest having one drawer for each day of the week.

One key feature of this custom piece is the discrete locking compartment that was integrated into the underside of the top. The compartment was lined in black Tuscany leather. Both the lock and hinges were plated in 18K gold.

The night stands each feature 3 large drawers...

and a fully finished back.

This corner detail shows the cascading grain pattern on the pilasters.

Inlaid into the back of each of the cabinets was a small convex inlay of a wood known as Narra. This particular selection of Narra carries a special provenance in the world of sustainable forest management because it comes from the last remaining board known to exist of the very first wood to be sustainably harvested on the Solomon Islands in the early to mid-1990s. This Narra made its way into North American by way of Eco-Timber in California.

All drawers are dovetailed solid maple, running on concealed linear ball bearing self-closing glides.

For management of various electronic devices some custom charging stations were built into each of the night stands, so that cell phones, Bluetooths, Blackberrys and digital cameras could be simultaneously stored and charged.

The power bar and excess wiring were concealed under a removeable tray that was inlaid with slots and pockets for storage.

This resulting casegoods collection is called Inamorata.

Inamorata comes from the Latin words "in" and "amore", with the loose translation being "to inspire with love".

Sustainable, Environmental, Eco Lifestyles, Healthy, All Natural, Home and Garden, Interior Design, Eco Friendly, Green Furniture, Green Furnishings, Green Designs, FSC Certified, Reclaimed Materials. Organic, LEED compliant, NAUF. CARB2, Bamboo, Natural Fibers. Non-Toxic, low-VOC, Non VOC, Natural Finishes.

Irenic Bed - The Story Behind its Creation

2011-06-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Shortly after relocating our shop in 2001 I began to consider some new furniture design ideas. I was particularly intrigued with the idea of making a custom bed that could be an amalgamation all of the holistic and ecological principles I was experimenting with at the time. This ultimately manifested in the design of the Irenic Bed.

The word irenic is Greek and means: “fitted or designed to promote peace; pacific; conciliatory; peaceful.” This seemed highly appropriate considering my underlying intent to weave together many divergent elements into a holistically balanced and restful whole.

For most of us the bedroom is the most important room in the home, with the bed being the focal point of this sacred space. Our bed is the place we turn to for comfort and refuge, and it is also here that we can find the time to think and reflect.

Our bed is the place we can be vulnerable and share intimate moments with those we love. Our bed also offers protection, and is the place we go to when we need to heal.

Because we spend about 1/3 of our lives in bed (based on the assumption of 8 hours sleep per night) it can be argued that a bed is the most important piece of furniture in the home.

An initial prototype was made in 2002 out of a dark wood called Wenge, and upon completion it was sent to Chicago for display at the Lee Weitzman showroom.

Although much positive feedback resulted in the ensuing months, it languished in the showroom for a while before finally being sold. For the next few years I toyed with the idea of making a second version of the bed, but refrained from doing so largely because it was a difficult piece to display due of the large area of floor space it covers.

And, so, the idea stalled - but I never gave up on it entirely.

Then one day in 2005 I was discussing sustainable furniture ideas with an eco-designer by the name of Jill Salisbury, and she began telling me about this amazing bed she had seen in Chicago a few years earlier. It didn't take long to figure out it was the Irenic Bed she was talking about, even though at the time she had no idea who made the piece. I was fascinated by how much the finest details of the design ended up resonating so powerfully with her. Inspired by that discussion I decided to make another version of the bed.

The second incarnation of the bed was done in natural flat cut Cherry. Slight angles were added to create a radiating sunburst effect on the head and footboards, which was meant to emulate the image of a setting and rising Sun. Beaded corner details were also set into the edges to give a gentle softening effect to the design.

The head and footboards were each constructed as heavy monolithic slabs, with the bed sides being suspended between each by way of mortised steel bed hooks that were discretely inlaid at the intersections. As an added convenience: no tools are required for assembly, and once it's together it is absolutely rigid and thoroughly grounded in place.

All wood used in the making of the Irenic Bed is FSC certified for using wood that has been sustainably harvested from well managed sources. This is verified by independent third party audit under Smartwood certificate #SW-COC-000055. In addition to being FSC certified the plywood core material is also NAUF (no added urea formaldehyde) which, in turn, makes it CARB2 (California Air Resources Board) compliant.

The glue used in our own lamination process is a Titebond product that is non-UF (non-urea formaldehyde), while the water based finish is a low-VOC (low-volatile organic compound) water based urethane from AFM that is so ecologically sound that it is doctor recommended even for those with chemical sensitivities.

It is for these reasons that the Irenic Bed is Greenspec listed at http://www.buildinggreen.com/
The Irenic Bed is also consistent with the sustainability standards set out by the U.S. Green Building Council’s stringent LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, namely the MR-7 Credit for certified wood use; the EQ Credit 4.1 for Low Emitting Solvents and Materials; and the EQ Credit 4.2 for Low Emitting Materials, Paints and Coatings.

The bed as shown in these photographs was displayed with Hastens boxspring, mattress and bedding. Many consider Hastens to make the finest beds on the planet, with the bonus being that their focus on green and ecologically sound principles is consistent with our own.

As a finishing touch the back of the headboard is also fully finished. Inlaid into the back of the headboard (just below the top) is a small convex detail of wood that carries a special provenance in the world of sustainable forest management. This wood is known as Narra and it comes from the last remaining board known to exist of the very first wood to be sustainably harvest on the Solomon islands in the early to mid 1990s. This wood made its way into North America by way of Eco-Timber in California.

Inlaid into the face of the headboard (and located discretely behind the pillows) is a small ovoid shaped stone known as a Narmadeshvara Shiva Lingam. This is a Hindu sacred stone that has been ceremoniously gathered once a year from the muddy banks of the Narmada River, one of the 7 sacred holy places of pilgrimage in India.

It is an Indian belief that millions of years ago a meteorite collided with the earth at what is now the source of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh, a mountainous province some 300 miles northeast of Bombay, India.

The tremendous heat of the collision caused a fusion of the ambient rock and the meteoric material. Over the ages a river began to flow through this area and the combination of these factors produced the unique condition in which pieces of the fused matter, revolving in the river bed over thousands of years, take on a distinct ovoid form. The oval form is markedly different from the flatter, thinner rocks normally appearing in the riverbed.

Once a year, after the long dry season and just before the monsoon, when the river is at its lowest, the villagers, working with oxen and rope, go out into the riverbed and pull the stones from the water. The stones are then hand-polished, a large one taking several months to complete. About twenty to thirty large pieces are taken from the river each year.

Down through the ages these stones have been carefully selected from this energy centre during the dry season by a few families, trained in the art of collecting, shaping and polishing the stones to bring out the natural markings called the "yoni". The lingams are handled in accordance with ancient Vedic tradition, and are thus highly blessed.

They have been allowed to come out of India at this time because of the desperate state of the planet. The Lingams are energy generators of balance, of Soul consciousness, and healing. It is believed they are impregnated with spiritual light resonating with the fifth Chakra, or Heart Chakra; thus their particular job in healing the planet is through opening the heart, healing the pain in the heart that obscures the harmony and knowingness of the soul residing within.

It is said according to the Vedic knowledge that the Lingam represents the inner being, the energy shape of the soul, or the essence of a human being. The upright egg shape represents the divine masculine energy, the power of Shiva. The marking, called the yoni, represent the divine female energy. Here is a balance of male/female, Yin/Yang, dark/light, knowledge/wisdom, the positive/negative energies unified - the wholeness of the soul, which is neither male nor female.

It is also said that by destiny everyone has their own Lingam. It is as if the signature of one's soul has been alchemically embedded in the stone down from the millenia of its making in the embrace of Mother Earth, and finally in the hands of an esoteric craftsperson. The Lingam draws out our soul qualities. As a result, it is a potent force for healing and meditation.

Typically the Irenic Bed is available in either King or Queen size, but it can be easily customized to accomodate various thicknesses and styles of boxsprings and/or mattresses. In addition we are always more than pleased to custom tailor our design to suit the needs of each individual client. The photo below shows a recently made custom version of this design which was made from a combination of stainless steel and a rare sampling of wood known as East Indian Laurel.

For this project the clients were also interested in having a matching dresser, chest of drawers and pair of night stands made to complement the Irenic Bed design. This invariably led to the creation of the Diego series of bedroom casegoods - which will be featured in the next post.

Sustainable, Environmental, Eco Lifestyles, Healthy, All Natural, Home and Garden, Interior Design, Eco Friendly, Green Furniture, Green Furnishings, Green Designs, FSC Certified, Reclaimed Materials. Organic, LEED compliant, NAUF. CARB2, Bamboo, Natural Fibers. Non-Toxic, low-VOC, Non VOC, Natural Finishes.

Ellipse II Table - The Story Behind its Creation

2011-05-31T16:26:00.001-07:00

In 2002 I began to experiment with ideas on how to bend wood across complex three dimensional planes. In the course of doing this I inadvertently created a tapered elliptical cone shape that, at first glance, looked ideal for a dining table base.

After building a prototype of the cone my next challenge was making the top. After heeding advice to "keep it simple" I settled on a pure elliptical oval shape with bookmatched grain and flat edge apron. A 1" high stainless steel plinth was added to the underside of the base. The resulting table was finished in Tobacco Mahogany, and named the Ellipse Dining Table.

Although the resulting table looked OK, there was something about it that was just plain missing. What bothered me most was the finish - which was a basic chocolate/mocha/expresso brown. At the time this was a safe finish to use, because just about every professional in the interior design industry was using it in one form or another since it "went with everything".

One could probably credit Holly Hunt and Christian Liaigre with first introducing this look to the high end of the market in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, however, the finish was everywhere and I soon realized that to be the main problem. Namely, because of the finish this table was looking like everything else out there - even the cheap dross knock-offs that were now beginning to flood the market by the containerload from offshore.

By 2006 I decided to refine the design with some subtle changes. I began by using a wood called Nero Chaquiro, which is a lesser known species that comes from an FSC certified forest in Brazil. In addition to being certified as sustainably harvested the use of this wood also helps support an indigenous community living along the banks of the Amazon River by providing a tangible incentive for the peoples living there to manage their surrounding forest responsibly.

The main structure of the table was crafted out of FSC certified ply, which was also NAUF and CARB2 compliant due to the fact that there were no added urea formaldehydes in the glues and binders. To minimize the heaviness of the top the grain pattern was changed to sunburst and the edge profile became a deep undercut bevel. The stainless steel plinth was removed in lieu of a small convex inlay of Narra being added as a subtle detail. The resulting table was finished in a low-VOC water based urethane, and renamed the Ellipse II Table.

Taken together these changes created a more sculptural look to the design, and the response from the design community was tremendously positive. Our ability to custom tailor this design to meet the requirements of each individual client has since resulted in the Ellipse II Table becoming one of our most popular offerings today.

In October 2008 a custom commission of this table for interior designer Wendy Blount was even published in an issue of Metropolitan Home magazine.

Thanks to the positive response this article received, the table photo was subsequently republished in the book "Glamour: Making it Modern" by Michael Lassell.

Sustainable, Environmental, Eco Lifestyles, Healthy, All Natural, Home and Garden, Interior Design, Eco Friendly, Green Furniture, Green Furnishings, Green Designs, FSC Certified, Reclaimed Materials. Organic, LEED compliant, NAUF. CARB2, Bamboo, Natural Fibers. Non-Toxic, low-VOC, Non VOC, Natural Finishes.

Custom Display Case Project

2011-05-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Attached is an image of one of the current projects we have on the go, which is for 6 massive display cases that will be going into a sports lounge.

Each case measures 39" wide x 24" deep x 102" high. Crafted from Ribbon Sapele each unit will have a mirrored back, glass shelves, an inset glass face and locking glass doors on each side.

The opening in the plinth base will receive a fitted grill to conceal air return plenums that are going to be set into the floor. Recessed halogen lighting on swivelling fixtures will be fitted into the header.

Landis Coffee Table

2011-05-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

Measuring 44" long x 21" wide x 16-3/4" high the Landis Coffee Table features an elliptical oval top with a deep undercut bevel running completely around the perimeter of the edge.

The stainless steel legs are easily removed for shipping, and this design can be customized into different sizes.

Crafted from FSC certified wood, non-UF glue and low-VOC waterbased finish this design has been described by one gallery owner as "an excellent representation of modern 50's design with a 21st Century twist."

Price: $675.00

A Custom Made Kitchen

2011-05-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

Although we typically specialize in building free standing pieces of custom furniture, it's not uncommon for us to also do built-ins and cabinetry such as kitchens.

One current project is for clients who are looking for a custom kitchen that is more "furniture-like" than what is currently available in the market. In other words: they're looking for something more refined than melamine boxes with doors.

For this project the cabinet interiors are to be finished in maple ply, with all drawer boxes being made of dovetailed solid maple running on Blumotion linear ball bearing slides. The cabinet exteriors will be finished in a 2-tone solid urethane.

The following series of images will show the progression of this project from the completion of the renovation stage through to the final installation.

At this stage the contractor is nearly done with his work. All electrical, plumbing and gas lines have now been located, and the drywall is mostly set in place. Once the hardwood floors are installed this room will be ready to receive our cabinetry.

The hardwood floors are now installed and the finishing touches have been made to the drywall. The appliance guys have already plunked the massive stainless steel fridge in the far corner, which will make it all the more difficult for us to do our work.

The lower boxes are set into their approximate locations, and a great deal of effort then goes in to making sure everything is square and level.

The upper cabinets, range hood, fridge enclosure and headers are now installed, and the fridge and oven have been installed.

Custom Commission - Kidney Shaped Desk

2011-05-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

What follows is a series of photos of a recently completed custom commission for a Kidney Shaped Desk. These images will form the basis for a series of blog posts that will explain this desk in great detail, explaining not only the various holistic woods used but also the process for making the gold, copper and silver inlays that have been fitted into the pencil drawer.

This is the initial walnut blank with recesses cut to receive the gold, copper and silver inlays. After the inlay work is complete this piece will become the lid of the box located inside the pencil drawer.

The gold and silver inlays were cast using a lost wax process. This image shows the mold and wax casting for the silver Turtle inlay.

The mold and wax casting for the Eagle inlay, which ended up being made of gold.

Benchwork on the Turtle inlay.

Benchwork on Eagle inlay.

Cleaning the casting of the Eagle inlay.

Polishing the Eagle inlay.

Handscraping the copper Tree inlay. Since it is not practical to cast copper, this inlay was made of bar stock that was seamlessly soldered together.

Preparing to fit the inlay into the wood.

After much polishing and finessing by hand, the final fit is achieved.

The wood lid can now be sanded in preparation for gluing the inlay into place.

A protective Lanolin finish is carefully applied by hand to the Black Walnut lid and sculpted inlay pieces that will function as finger pulls under the drawers. It is highly relevant that these pieces are all located in areas that will be frequently touched, since this will allow the active holistic molecules of the Black Walnut wood to come into direct contact with the skin of the person using the desk.

The finished lid and finger pulls, ready to be fitted into desk.

Front view of the completed desk.

A closer view of the end detail of the desk.

Detail view of top, showing Macassar Ebony top apron and inset of black Tuscany leather.

Detail view of side drawer.

Pencil drawer - closed.

Pencil drawer - open.

Interior of pencil drawer, showing inlaid lid of Black Walnut. The trays on either side are made of Sassafras, which is a holistic wood known for its aromatherapeutic properties. The box portion below the inlaid lid has been crafted from a wood called Hawthorn, which is also known for its aromatherapeutic and Ayurvedic properties.

Detail view of inlaid finger pull below one of the side drawers. The finger pulls are made of a special cutting of Black Walnut wood, which has traditionally been used by Native American medicine women for its holistic properties.

The properties of all of the holistic woods, and the story behind the gold, copper and silver inlays in the lid, will be explained in greater detail in a subsequent post.

Can't You Hear Me Knocking?

2011-05-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

Although today is a long weekend I was in my shop finishing a special project for one of my clients. Because there's a good chance that this client also follows my blog I won't be posting pictures of what I was up to just yet - to maintain some air of surprise.

In the meantime I'm posting a link to a song by the Rolling Stones. It came on the radio today, and it's a song I haven't heard in YEARS.

It's such a great tune!

For the record: I'm a lousy dancer, but I was dancing a mean boogie to this song today, but only because no one was in my shop to see me doing it.

Edgar the Tree

2011-05-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's post showed an image of fruit blossoms that have surprisingly appeared on a PawPaw tree in our backyard.

Today's post is of a maple tree that is growing nearby.

Several years ago, after a visit with friends, I found my parked vehicle covered in hundreds of maple keys that had fallen from nearby trees. On a lark I gathered handfuls of these keys to plant them in small starter pots to see what would happen.

In short order the bulk of these seeds sprouted into tiny seedlings, and over the course of the Summer I either gave away or transplanted all of them in various locations. The empty pots (including those of the seeds that didn't take hold) I left at the side of the house, and subsequently forgot about them.

Months later I was surprised to notice a gangly seedling in one of the "empty" pots. This little guy was obviously a late bloomer, and now that it was late in the season I was hard pressed for ideas on where to plant him before Winter set in.

Without much thought I decided to place this seedling in the middle of the garden at the back of the yard, to see if he'd even survive the first snow. Survive he did, and by the next Spring it was growing by leaps and bounds.

In just a few year's time this tree has grown to over 20 ft. tall, and is now a permanent fixture in the yard. This tree's shade is especially welcome on hot Summer afternoons.

This tree has also been named. We call him: Edgar.

The PawPaw Tree has Blossoms!

2011-05-21T17:10:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago I posted images of some lesser known species of trees that were starting to bud with the coming of Spring.

One of these trees was a PawPaw, and it's a particular favorite of mine because a) it's extremely rare in this area, and b) it's survival is critical for biodiversity since it's the only tree capable of hosting the larvae of the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly.

Today I made a fascinating discovery about this tree, because it is now showing fruit blossoms as well. This has me thrilled beyond belief, because this PawPaw is supposed to be years away from being mature enough to bear fruit.

This moment reminds me of something Nelson Henderson once said, in that:

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

The Tree Swallows have Disappeared

2011-05-10T15:19:00.001-07:00

In 2001 we located our Shop to a rural location roughly 1 hour north-east of Toronto. One of our first orders of business was to place nesting boxes all around the perimeter of the property.

Because of our rural location there are many open fields and, for a while, there were also large numbers of Tree Swallows to be found. The purpose of the nesting boxes was to provide habitat for these birds.

A total of 20 of these nesting boxes were made, and in the first few years it was not uncommon to see more than half of them occupied by nesting pairs of birds.

During warm summer days it was a joy to see these birds zig-zag and divebomb their way across the property to catch their staple meal of flying insects.

About 5 years ago the numbers started to decline, and I was puzzled as to why fewer birds were coming back every year. The decline in numbers is now complete, because this year not a single Tree Swallow has returned.

But at least now I know the reason why.

It's corn. Fields and fields of corn. With the heightened awareness of global warming in recent years (and the ramped up production of biofuels such as ethanol) most of the farmland in this area has now become converted to the growing of corn.

What this means for the Tree Swallows is a loss of the diverse meadows that once provided an abundant supply of insects for food. Crops for biofuel has now become big business in this area, as is evident from this nearby expanded storage facility.

While it's true that farmers feed cities, these days it seems that more and more of them are finding it profitable to feed gas tanks instead.

Spring has Sprung - Finally !

2011-05-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today we enjoyed some warm and sunny weather. Finally !

Probably the best indicator that Spring has sprung is seeing the trees starting to bud.

When I relocated my shop to its current location in 2001 one of the first things I did was to plant some trees on the surrounding property. I opted to plant several lesser known and indigenous species of trees, including a few that are considered to be species at risk in this area.

This Shagbark Hickory is clearly wasting little time getting its buds out into the light of the Sun. Other species including Butternut, Swamp Oak, Pin Oak, Black Walnut and PawPaw remain mostly dormant.

This PawPaw is one of my favorite trees. Although not considered to be a particular species at risk, this tree is extremely rare in these parts since we are located more to the north of its usual climate zone.

I felt inspired to plant some of these trees, largely because the PawPaw is the only tree able to host the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly.

On so many levels it is essential to do what is possible to help sustain biodiversity.

Custom Cabinet to the Four Seasons Hotel

2011-04-26T17:38:00.001-07:00

Over the years we have made a variety of custom furniture pieces for many 5-star luxury hotels including Four Seasons, Mandarin-Oriental, Ritz-Carlton and Umstead Hotel and Spa.

Typically the pieces we make are either the specialty pieces that get showcased in public areas, or custom furnishings that go into the restaurants, cocktail lounges and the most luxurious of penthouse suites.

Today we completed a custom Audio/Video Cabinet that will soon be delivered to the Presidential Suite of a newly renovated Four Seasons Hotel.

This cabinet was custom made out of a combination of FSC certified Ebony veneer, and satin black lacquered panels.

The tops on each of the end cabinets are made of 1-1/4" thick Nero Assolute granite.

The drawers are dovetailed solid maple, running on concealed and self-closing Blumotion linear ball bearing slides.

The cabinet interiors are finished in satin natural maple, and the inlaid grommet in the backs allow for wiring.

After final cleaning and inspection the cabinet is wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap, before being crated for shipping.

Furniture Imports from Asia are now Radioactive Too??!!!

2011-04-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Most people I talk too seem oblivious as to reasons why furniture imports from Asia are so cheap. It has long been determined that the use of illegally harvested timber in unregulated offshore sweatshops goes a long way to explaining the low, low prices at discount furniture stores.

But now there's a new bargain thrown into the mix. Apparently because of the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan last month, and the resulting nuclear disaster at Fukushima, containerloads of furniture bargains coming in from Asia are now turning out to be radioactive too.

This is excellent news for bargain hunters. Perhaps we shall soon see furniture ads that read something like this: "No money down; Don't pay until 2012; and the higher the Micro Sievert reading on your Geiger Counter - the bigger your discount."

Given that most of this crap ends up as landfill within a couple of years anyway, perhaps our government needs to start reclassifying our garbage dumps as radioactive waste sites now too.

Custom Woodwork in the Bentley Mulsanne

2011-04-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

In 2010 Bentley Motors reintroduced the luxury Mulsanne to their collection.

The interior of each Mulsanne has a total of 33 hand crafted panels of Walnut Burl veneer that have each been exquisitely fitted into place.

It takes an average of 7 hours to craft each panel, largely because Bentley's quality standards are such that the grain pattern of the entire car is perfectly center matched. In other words, the grain pattern on the door panel on the left side of the car will be the exact mirror opposite to the corresponding panel on the right.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the following video is the way in which Bentley has integrated advanced manufacturing technologies (i.e. CNC and laser) with many traditional Old World techniques of hand craftsmanship.

In many ways this emulates what Philippe Dufour is also doing with respect to his hand crafted watches, although in Dufour's case he limits his use of technology to the CAD (computer aided design) end of the spectrum.

Please enjoy the following video:

Ultimate Factories - BENTLEY MULSANNE - by National Geographic TV. from Colaps T on Vimeo.

Custom Made Inlays for a Custom Made Desk

2011-04-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've been working with a custom jeweller recently to create some cool inlays out of Gold, Copper, and Sterling Silver.

These inlays will be fitted into a current commission for a Kidney Shaped Desk.

This story will be told in greater detail in an upcoming series of posts.

A Custom Made Version of the Ellipse II Dining Table

2011-04-18T17:29:00.001-07:00

Some time ago we received an inquiry to build a custom version of our Ellipse II Table. Apparently this client had seen and LOVED the elliptical version of our design, but asked if they could make some changes.

They asked if they could change the species of wood, the grain pattern of the top, the shape of the top, the overall size, the design of the base, the edge profile, and the finish. Oh, and could they also have this table made with extension leaves?

The answers to the questions were: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

The first step in the process was to make a drawing of the proposed custom design, to clarify the proportions and give a clearer sense of what the finished table would look like.

After approval of drawings a finish sample was made to verify the wood and sheen. For this particular project we made the finish sample into a scale mock-up of the table edge profile, to give a better sense of what it would look like.

Upon approval of drawings and finish sample it was time to build the table.

The first step was to lay up the panels that would be made into the top, leaves and pedestal base.

With the table top cut top size it was time to glue on the 3" built-up edge. As you can see, there's truth to the saying that there are never enough clamps in a wood shop.

With the table edges clamped for the glue to dry it was time to make some interlocking ribs as a jig for the inside of the pedestal base.

Compound mitres were used to cut the plywood panels for the pedestal sides. These panels were then fitted around the jig to create the finished profile.

Applying the hardwood trim. More glue, and more clamps.

Additional hardwood ribs were secured to the underside of the top to give added rigidity to the cantilevered design. The dadoed cross rib shown here creates the pocket that will hold the extenders for the extension leaves.

The underside of the table, showing subtop and extender for leaf.

More clamps....

The woodwork is now complete. This view shows the extender closed.

The extender open.

The leaf set onto the extender.

The completed table, now ready for sanding and finishing.

The table base set into the dining room of the client's home.

The finished table, shown in plain sliced walnut with natural satin finish.

An Interview With Philippe Dufour

2011-04-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Philippe Dufour is arguably the finest watchmaker in the world. Recently I had the honour of actually holding and inspecting one of his masterpieces.

This experience inspired me to learn more about this incredibly talented individual, and in the course of doing this I came across an interesting article written by Pierre Maillard in 2004 for Europa Star. What I found especially illuminating is what Dufour said about the change that has taken place in the high end watch making industry over the years. True craftsmanship has largely given way to standardization and uniformity, even in the upper echelon of the marketplace. Many brands now focus 99% of their energies on marketing and only 1% on true craftsmanship.

So much of what Dufour says echo the things that I'm experiencing in the world of fine furniture making, including seeing the many once proud brands that have since moved their production offshore in the relentless pursuit of the cheapest price - usually at the expense of quality.

I suppose it would be easy for me to lament about this change in the world, but ultimately what does it change? Absolutely nothing.

But it does make me wonder about the future of what I do for a living. In fact, I wonder about this more for the sake of my son Kevin, and I often question whether I am doing my due diligence as a father by encouraging him with this vocation as a career path.

To put it bluntly: "Is there going to be a future for doing fine quality work in this world?"

I have to believe that there is, because despite the challenging economic times I do continue to have the good fortune of finding clients who appreciate the merits of fine craftsmanship.

All in all I found this interview with Dufour to be very inspiring, and I said to Kevin earlier today that maybe it's time to really challenge his skill level by designing and making something especially iconic. Who knows - this could very well turn into a joint father and son project.

In the meantime, I have reprinted Maillard's interview below:

Europa Star: Philippe Dufour, you are a case apart! You make a manual-winding mechanical watch, with three hands, that is quite simple, and you sell it for 48,000 Swiss francs! You really dare…

Philippe Dufour: The price is perfectly justified. And those who are interested in this watch, who understand it perfectly, know that it is. In fact, they will compete with each other to obtain one. But, this watch is rare, so rare that the buyer must wait two or three years to receive one. I must tell you a little story. Not too long ago, I finished one and sent it to a client in the United States. Do you know that he announced its arrival on a website for watch aficionados (Editor’s Note: the site is http://www.thepurist.com/ ), and even published a photo of the wrapped package along with the receipt from Brinks that delivered it. The caption read ‘The watch, you will see it in three days…’

ES: What is the major difference between the ‘Simplicity’ and other watches?Why is there such a strong desire to own one?

PD: I go to extremes in life to do the best I can. In today’s modern movement, born with the 'renaissance’ of the mechanical watch, even in the best of these movements, everything is designed to be made on a machine. Please understand me when I say that even if the hand of man has its role to play, the architecture itself of the movement, like the design of its component parts, is created with machine manufacturing in mind. However, a machine is incapable of making bridges with rounded corners as are done by hand in my atelier. In the 'Simplicity’ watch, there is the enormous added value of being totally handcrafted. There is a certain emotional attraction of knowing that a skilled hand, using traditional tools, has created a personal timepiece. It has its own internal vibration. It is something living and unique…it is poetry from the hand.

ES: In a way, it represents a return to the watchmaking of our ancestors.

PD: I follow the most traditional paths of watchmaking, but without the least nostalgia. I try to perpetuate the savoir-faire of the great watchmakers of the Vallée de Joux region. I try to slow the erosion of this magnificent culture. But, I am a man of today, and the 'Simplicity’ is a totally contemporary timepiece.

ES: Are you saying that there is a risk that the traditional savoir-faire of watchmaking might disappear?

PD: The palette of the craft is shrinking, even in the watch schools. Basically, the schools are in the service of industry. As it stands, the industrial companies, even the best of them, and contrary to what they say, do not need watchmakers in the fullest sense of the term. The industry as a whole needs ‘operators’, adjusters, assemblers, etc. But, they do not need complete watchmakers, except perhaps in a symbolic or decorative aspect. In my opinion, I think that watchmaking should be considered as an art form, with no shortcuts. A student should learn to file a piece of metal even if no one files anything anymore in the industry. It is like a musician…to give his concert, he practices his scales.

ES: Yet, we read everywhere that we are witnessing the great return of mechanical watchmaking. And, it is true that in the entire world, the mechanical timepiece is now enjoying unequalled prestige.

PD: What has facilitated this return is the invention of computer-controlled equipment, the CAD and electro-erosion. Now we can manufacture very complicated watches on an assembly line. But so what? I repeat, in all that there is hardly any feeling, any emotion. Where does the emotion come from? It comes from details, purely details. It comes from the particular brilliance of a piece, the sentiments it gives off.

ES: One could say that you are too attached to the past…

PD: I don’t reject any technology. For example, I hardly ever use the pencil anymore. The computer is an absolutely fantastic invention that I do not want to do without. On the other hand, people must know what to expect from such a tool. I don’t look for feelings or emotion in my drawings and designs, and the computer allows me a level of precision and adjustments that were not possible before. But when I pass to the real object, I put down the mouse and take up the file.

ES: Besides this extreme attention to detail and care, what characterizes your movement?

PD: Although I completely designed everything for the ‘Simplicity’, I did not actually invent anything in the strict sense of the term, contrary to the innovations that I brought to the ‘Duality’. The idea for the Simplicity is based on watches from the 1930s and 1940s, which were well proportioned [Editor’s Note: Simplicity exists in two sizes, 34 mm or 37 mm in diameter] and which were basically problem-free, with extraordinary reliability, showing hardly any wear and tear. I planned everything with this in mind. I use 18,000 vibrations per hour and not 28,800 since that number requires more torque. In the same spirit, I use a Breguet spiral system without a regulator. The calibre is water-resistant to 30 metres and has a working reserve of 53 hours. All these choices were made in order to guarantee that the Simplicity will not wear out. It is a classic watch. The 99th piece must be identical to the first.

ES: In this sense, how many have you produced?

PD: In my atelier, which is the smallest complete manufacturing facility in the world, where I now work with my daughter and an extremely talented young watchmaker, I have produced, in total, six Grandes Sonneries, my first watch, nine 'Duality’ pieces, and now, I am working on my 60th Simplicity, at a rate of about 25 per year. We must have a living out of it…

ES: Precisely, how do organize your distribution?

PD: I would say that my distribution more or less organized itself, as a function of my personal contacts. I must be the only watchmaker on the planet who knows exactly who owns each one of his watches. The only place where distribution, if we can use this word, is organized, is in Japan, where I sell directly to a store that retails the watches. But, this is normal in this case, since I send two-thirds of my production to Japan. What happens in that country for me is quite incredible. When I go there, collectors come from all over and want to touch me. The NHK made a two-hour film on Swiss watchmaking. It devoted 45 minutes to my friend, Antoine Preziuso, 45 minutes to me, and the rest to Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Swatch combined. The film was broadcast nine times on television. I couldn’t believe it. I also receive many orders via the Internet. And, everything is done on trust. People pay one-third down and then wait two or three years to get the watch. I find that it is absolutely marvellous all that I get from a simple watch, all the people that I meet and all the friends that I make from around the world…

ES: When you were young, did you ever dream any of this would happen?

PD: Not for an instant! You know, I don’t want to shock you but watchmaking was not my personal choice. It was a series of circumstances that brought me to it. I come from a simple working family. I was one of four children and my father was ill. I did not particularly like school so when I was 15, I quit. My older brother was able to choose what he wanted to study and decided to go to Lausanne for training. Since my family could only afford to pay one room and board, I had to stay at home. I wanted to be a mechanic but my teacher at the time told me to study watchmaking instead. I began and it grabbed me, and that’s how it all started.

ES: And so, what happened next?

PD: I was hired by Jaeger-LeCoultre. I travelled for them to Germany, followed by England, and then to the Caribbean and the Virgin Islands. There, I visited some 40 watch assembly facilities and saw people of all types assembling movements. It was an eye-opening experience for me. I thought that only the craftsmen from the Vallée de Joux were capable of doing such a thing. I returned to Switzerland and began working for Genta, followed by Audemars Piguet. But I did not really enjoy working in a factory. I no longer wanted to be just another wheel in the gear-train of the system. There was a guy there who wanted to open a small workshop to repair and improve old pocket watches. I joined him and a year later, I purchased the atelier from him. That is how I became an independent. I began restoring wonderful old complicated watches. From that experience, I noticed that the large majority of the pieces sold by the large companies at the time were actually made in the Vallée de Joux. So I said to myself, ‘If they were able to do it, we are able to redo it.’ I got to work and made my first pocket watch movement, equipped with a grand sonnerie. It was wonderful, but I did not have enough money to invest in the case so I went around to try and sell the movement. Audemars Piguet ordered five! This meant five years of work! However, after 5,000 hours of working for other people, I was bitten again by the bug of independence.

ES: How did your real independence come about?

PD: The period from 1989 to 1992 was very difficult. I put myself to work at the computer and in 1992 at the Basel Fair, I presented my first Grande Sonnerie wristwatch. No one was expecting it. It was a critical success, and I was pressured to sell out to a brand, but I decided not to. I wanted to remain independent. So, I took my watch and travelled around the world. It was in Singapore where I met my destiny. I remained in the city ten days and I negotiated during these ten days. When I left, I had sold the wristwatch plus a Grande Sonnerie pocket watch, plus I had orders for three new watches. Things were beginning to take off…

ES: What is your opinion of the watch situation today in Switzerland after the period of rationalization that we have just been through?

PD: I am not very optimistic. I am not speaking from a strictly economic point of view, but I notice that a certain form of standardization is at work, which makes the product less interesting. The marketing people who rule the scene today do not even realize or understand this. The people at the controls do not know watchmaking. There is a loss of savoir-faire that began with the economic crisis. I know many watchmakers who are reaching the retirement age after 30 or 40 years of activity. One fine day they pack up their belongings and turn the page. They are leaving the profession, somewhat disgusted, without anyone realizing they are gone, and without having transmitted their treasure house of knowledge and experience to others. There is loss of motivation, a lack of friendly rivalry. The current managers no longer have the same culture that in the ‘olden’ days formed the basis of a watchmaker’s pride.

ES: Still, at the same time, watchmaking attracts young people ready to try their hand…

PD: Yes, it does, and we welcome some into the Academy of Independent Watch Creators (ACHI). But, it is still a very small world, and the sacrifices required are enormous.

ES: But, to listen to you and to see your eyes light up when you talk about it, it seems to be worth the effort.

PD: Yes, but in this business, you need tenacity, flair, a little talent, courage and a lot of hard work. A grain of folly helps, too. At the end of it all, there is also joy …

Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. - Company History

2011-04-04T19:38:00.004-07:00

Our website is long overdue for an update. One of the reasons for the delay is because we are looking for a design that can also interface with this blog, as well as my Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook pages.

Because our company's history and furniture making process is going to be an integral part of the updated design, I am going to use this blog post as a rudimentary storyboard to rough out some text and photo images that will likely be integrated into the revised website.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To appreciate the history of furniture making in the Wiggers family it is important to understand the broader historical context of our ancestry.

My family traces its roots back to the small village of Groenlo, Holland which is located in the eastern part of the Netherlands - close to the German border.

Groen translates as green, and Lo means forest, so Groenlo actually means "green forest".

Centuries ago this village was a fortressed settlement known as Grolle, or Grol. The family name Wiggers is indigenous to the area, and it loosely translates as "one who battles".

There is a long tradition of fine furniture making in our family, and one example of a desk made by H.H. Wiggers in the 1800s was even featured on an episode of the "Antiques Roadshow" television program.

This photo shows my grandfather's original workshop in Groenlo, which has since been designated as a protected historical site. My grandfather made both furniture and wooden shoes out of this location.

During the Second World War he was also involved with the Dutch Underground, and amongst other things his shop was used as a secret transfer point to help smuggle shot down Allied pilots back to England.

Wooden shoe making was originally done by hand. However, in the 1920s with the introduction of electricity to the area, my grandfather played an instrumental role with the invention of the first machine to automate the wooden shoe making process. The original machine is shown in the photo above.

After the war there was a tremendous period of rebuilding and growth, which fueled a considerable demand for furniture. My grandfather then went into partnership with his brother-in-law to form a furniture company known as Thesseling-Wiggers-Groenlo.

By the 1950s he began to wind this facility down to move his family overseas to better opportunities in North America. The photo to the right shows my father Johan, who was then aged 19 and trained as a cabinet-maker. He arrived in Canada with little more than a box of tools and $40 in his pocket.

With no money to go into business on his own my father worked as a foreman at a local factory. In his spare time he made furniture in his basement workshop.

The photo shown here was taken in 1961, and it shows me at the age of 2, as I begin my informal apprenticeship with my father.

By 1967 it was time to go out on his own, and it was then that my father founded Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd.

Initially he worked out of the back of a rented barn, but before long word of his work began to spread and he was able to build his own workshop.

One of Johan's first employees was a brilliant wood finisher by the name of Art Welton, who had recently emigrated from England. Art soon earned the nickname of "Picasso" for his ability to match stains and toners with exceptional clarity.

In the wood shop Johan worked for many years alongside a diligent craftsman by the name of Karl-Heinz Federmann.

By the 1980s the company was enjoying steady growth, and in the process was able to purchase a wide array of precision woodworking equipment. These machines made it possible to produce ever finer and ever more meticulous pieces of furniture.

In 1982 a visitor from the United States happened to see an example of our work, and referrals soon led to work with interior designers and architects in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami and New York. Although this created opportunity for massive expansion and growth a conscious decision was made to keep the company small to maintain firm control over quality with a keen eye for detail.

Today Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. works out of a well equipped 12,000 sq. ft. shop with a small crew of highly skilled artisans crafting high quality furniture and built-in cabinetry that gets shipped as far away as Kuwait, Russia and Japan.

As a throwback to a largely bygone era there are no assembly lines to be found anywhere in this facility. In the tradition of the Old World craftsman each piece continues to be individually crafted by hand on a bench to exacting standards of quality.

Although he's now retired, company founder Johan continues to play an active role teaching his grandson Kevin some of the finer points of veneer and inlay work.

Final sanding and prep work for finishing continues to be done by hand so that all details can be fully inspect in a manner that will best enhance the grain of the wood.

A variety of fine finishes can be applied to our furniture, ranging from lacquers to high gloss polyurethanes and other low-VOC options including water based finishes. Specialty work including gold and silver leaf and inlays such as mother-of-pearl are also available.

Fine quality craftsmanship and personal attention to detail are not marketing buzzwords in our shop; it is the tradition way in which we have always worked in our shop.

As a small family run woodworking business we welcome any inquiries you might have for fine quality custom furniture and built-ins.

Custom Writing Desk - (Part 6) - The Completed Desk

2011-04-04T19:37:00.001-07:00

With the finishing process now complete the desk can be assembled.

The completed desk is shown as follows:

Front view of desk.

Front corner detail.

Rear view of desk.

(I love this) detail of where the drawer meets apron.

Drawer open, showing dovetails.

Inlaid grommet in desk top.

Custom Writing Desk - (Part 5) - Finishing the Desk

2011-04-04T19:36:00.003-07:00

Most woodworkers will tell you that the most tedious part of the furniture making process is the hours of final sanding required to prepare the wood for finishing.

In my mind this stage is actually quite exciting, because it helps me to anticipate more clearly what the finished piece will look like.

In the previous post the solid cherry received multiple coats of a vinegar and iron solution, which is the traditional way of ebonizing wood to a darker colour.

A black toner is then applied to ebonize the darker areas more consistently.

At this stage I am extremely pleased with the decision to add the beading details to the aprons and drawer fronts.

The Macassar Ebony looks incredible!

Next: Custom Writing Desk - (Part 6) - The Completed Desk

Custom Writing Desk - (Part 4) - The Making of the Desk Begins

2011-04-04T19:36:00.001-07:00

With the drawing and finish sample now approved it is time to proceed with the actual making of this custom desk.

First the Macassar Ebony veneer is carefully cut and bookmatched, before being laminated to rigid veneer core Birch plywood panels.

The aprons are double laminated for strength, and solid corner blocks are added to receive the legs. The front legs (alongside where the drawers will be) are going to be mechanically secured with steel hangar bolts.

Pipe clamps hold the framework square while the glue sets up.

The desk legs are milled out of solid 12/4 Maple stock.

These solid cherry bead details will be added later to the underside of aprons and drawer fronts.

This view shows the pocket that will receive the dovetailed drawer boxes. The legs are also bolted in place.

The Macassar Ebony apron showing leg and beading detail.

With the woodworking portion nearly complete the desk is stood upright to verify proportions, fine tune the details and ensure stability.

Front corner detail showing drawer closed.

Drawer open.

At the intersection where drawers meet centre apron the beading detail helps accentuate the lines.

The desk is now disassembled and ready for sanding and finishing. At this stage a traditional vinegar and iron solution is applied to the solid cherry to naturally darken the wood. This solution reacts with the natural tannins of the wood to achieve the ebonizing effect.

Next: Custom Writing Desk - (Part 5) - Finishing the Desk

Custom Writing Desk - (Part 3) - Finish Sample for Approval

2011-04-04T19:35:00.001-07:00

In tandem with sending drawings to the client for approval I always like to make actual finish samples of the wood we intend to use. This helps clear up any misunderstandings that might take place regarding what the finished wood surface is going to look like.

For this particular Writing Desk a bundle of quarter cut Macassar Ebony was selected, and after confirming the yield a portion was cut and glued to a piece of plywood.

After sanding and lacquering the full panel was then cut into smaller squares, with the edges being sanded and slightly bevelled. The backs of the samples are then covered in felt, and a labelled to identify the project, wood species, type of finish, and date.

Two of the samples are then sent to the client, with copies kept as control samples in our shop.

Once we receive client approval on these samples, the woodworking on the desk can begin.

Next: Custom Writing Desk - (Part 4) - The Making of the Desk Begins

Custom Writing Desk - (Part 2) - Scale Drawings

2011-04-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

The next step is to take the approved design concept and turn it into a scale drawing, which will give a better idea of what the finished desk will look like.

This drawing can then be submitted to the client for approval.

Once the drawing is approved we can select the appropriate material and make a finish sample for approval.

Next: Custom Writing Desk - (Part 3) - Finish Sample for Approval

Custom Writing Desk - (Part 1) - Conceptualizing the Design

2011-04-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Recently an Internet inquiry came through asking about how to commission a custom writing desk. After some preliminary discussions about various designs including the Kidney Shaped Desk, Rainforest Desk and 1927 Console/Desk it was determined that a customized version of the latter might be most appropriate for the required dimensions of 55" long x 22" deep x 30" high.

Based on this discussion an initial concept was sketched out and emailed to the client. As a starting point this design has curved, tapering legs and a bowed apron with elevated ribs to support a Macassar Ebony top. The fact that the cross ribs are elevated helps creates the visual illusion that the top is floating.

Although I thought the idea was quite interesting and unusual, the client didn't like it. After further discussion the design was revised as follows:

This idea the client loved. At this point we formalized the pricing with a written quotation, and a deposit was made so we could then make the scale drawings required to finalize the concept and work out the details.

Next: Custom Writing Desk - (Part 2) - Scale Drawings

Philippe Dufour - The World's Finest Watchmaker

2011-04-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

I have always admired the precision and detail that goes into the making of a well crafted men's wrist watch. Exemplary examples are a true source of inspiration for me.

Recently I had the rare honour of actually holding and inspecting one of the finest timepieces in the world - an absolute gem crafted by the legendary horologist Philippe Dufour of Switzerland. (My only regret was not having a loupe available to view it with).

Let's just say that the experience caught me offguard, and rendered me rather speechless.

This is the master: Philippe Dufour.

Isn't his workshop incredible? My grandfather would have loved this place. "Machines; machines; machines." he'd say.

There are hundreds of details that separate a Dufour from all other watches, including the fact that even the insides of the gears are precision polished by hand.

If you're curious to learn more about Philippe Dufour and his timepieces, please check out the following link which contains a photo gallery of a day spent by a patron with the master.

This article by Ron DeCorte includes photographs of a number of intricate details that are inherent in Dufour's magnificent timepieces.

Social Media Does Sell Custom Furniture

2011-04-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Some new custom furniture commissions have come my way recently, and in at least two of those cases Social Media has played a significant role in the manifestation of these sales. A few weeks ago a gallery located over 2000 miles from here received an Internet order for a Kidney Shaped Desk from a client located over 600 miles away. Although neither the gallery nor the client has ever seen or touched this actual desk, it seems that the client has been researching it online for more than 3 years and has fallen in love with it - so much so that she has now decided to invest in a purchase.

This commission is currently in the process of being made and it will be the subject of an upcoming series of blog posts. Last night I received word that another Internet order for a custom desk is also coming my way, although in this case the design will be a modification of my 1927 Console/Desk design.

With this commission the client was doing a tremendous amount of online research to find a writing desk that could be customized both to the size and aesthetic he was trying to achieve. Thanks to Google he came across several examples of my custom furniture work, and decided to make an inquiry.

Subsequent emails were exchanged, including digital renderings of suggested designs. Once the design parameters were established it was possible to determine actual pricing. The process behind the making of this custom desk will also be the subject of some upcoming blog posts.

Although I don't know specifically how much of a role my website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, Linkedin page and/or Blog has played in either of these commissions, it is clear that the Internet and Social Media are both playing ever increasing roles in the marketing and sale of my work.

I am pleasantly astounded at how a small, rural custom furniture shop such as mine can now use digital technology to carve a niche in a global marketplace that is becoming ever more fluid and dynamic.

The De-Industrialization of America - Liberty Vintage Motorcycles

2011-03-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting video that gives voice to the ongoing de-industrialization of America.

Handmade Portraits: Liberty Vintage Motorcycles from Etsy on Vimeo.

I agree with the basic premise of what Adam Cramer saying, namely that there are too few young people today who have either the interest or the aptitute to work "old school", and know the difference between a Phillips and a Standard screwdriver.

However, I don't agree that all young people can be written off with this one sweeping comment.

At one point in the video Cramer says: "Right now I don't see who the next me is. Where's the next me?"

I have news for you, Dude. There is no "next you". You are an original, and that's where it's going to end.

Allow me to illustrate:

This is my son Kevin. He is now 21 years old, and he's learning the equally challenged trade of fine woodworking and furniture making. He has chosen this path because he loves it and he's good at it, and certainly not because of any encouragement on my part.

I am happy to say that this point in his life Kevin is already far more experienced, skilled and talented than I ever was at the same age. On occasion people will say how wonderful it must be to have a son who is "following in my footsteps" so he can "take over" from me.

My reply is always something to the effect that this could never happen, nor would I ever want it to happen. I am me, and Kevin is Kevin. There is no way he could ever be the "next me", because Kevin is not me. Nor would I ever want him try.

Although he shares my interest in furniture making, I believe that the best thing I can do as a father is to help Kevin find out what best manifests for him. Yes, Kevin may end up using the same shop, tools and machines that I have used over the years, but ultimately what he does and what he accomplishes with them will be up to him.

In the meantime I am doing everything I can to help him adapt to an ever shifting market paradigm, in a time when everything seems to be saturated with a glut of cheap crap flooding in from offshore. Cramer is right on the mark when he says that America is de-industrializing.

At what point do people realize that an economy cannot function with everyone either unemployed, or working as civil servants and retail clerks at Wally World?

Earth Hour, Great Blue Heron, and the Kogi

2011-03-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Earth Hour.

For those who don't know what it is, Earth Hour is an event that was started by World Wildlife Fund in 2007. The idea behind it is to get everyone to turn off their electricity for one hour in the evening in an effort to raise awareness about global climate change.

Although my household did participate in yesterday's event, it turns out that not many in the Toronto area did likewise. My understanding is that the estimated drop in electricity use during that hour (in this area) was only about 5 percent.

The purpose of this post is not to discuss the relevance, or irrelevance, of Earth Hour as an event. Rather, I'd like to share an unusual experience I had yesterday, because I believe it is very telling about what is really happening in our natural world.

Yesterday my son Kevin and I were up early to do some work in the shop, and on our way there we happened to see a Great Blue Heron gliding gracefully over our heads.

Although it's not uncommon to see these majestic birds in our area, what's unusual is that we saw it yesterday.

Great Blue Herons are large wading birds whose main source of food is the fish and amphibians usually found in the shallow waters of streams, ponds and marshes. These birds are also migratory for the obvious reason that these shallow waters are frozen over in Canada during our long winter months.

Although the calendar says that Spring officially arrived early last week, the climate reality in this area tells a different story. For one thing there is still snow on the ground in many areas. For another, at the time we saw the Heron yesterday the outside temperature was -8 degrees. Thurday's low was -10, and Friday's was -8. Even with today scheduled to warm up to +2 degrees, it's pretty obvious that this Heron is going to stand a snowball's chance in blast furnace of finding any food because every shallow body of water around here is currently frozen over.

Clearly this unfortunate bird's sense of timing and/or migration has gotten totally messed up, and he'll likely die because of it.

I told you that story to tell you this one.

Many years ago I had a vivid and powerful dream that ended up being painted to canvas. That experience is explained in greater detail in an earlier post.

At the time it happened this dream inspired me to learn as much as I could about various indigenous peoples and cultures, and in the course of doing this I learned a great deal about an unusual and reclusive tribe known as the Kogi.

The Kogi are an indigenous people living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of northern Colombia, in South America. They are the only civilization to have survived the Spanish conquests and to have kept their individuality. They are perhaps the only indigenous people in the world who, because of the particular nature of their surroundings, have been able to keep themselves apart and sustain their culture in a manner that has been, more or less, uncorrupted by the ways of the Western world.

They have survived to this day by keeping their traditions and relying upon, and looking after, the mountain environment. They believe it is their duty to look after the mountain that they call "The Heart of the World". They call themselves the Elder Brother and refer to the newcomers as the Younger Brother. It is the Younger Brother of the Western world who they believe is destroying the balance of the planet.

The Kogi way of life is one of being content with the ways of old. This is a deliberate choice on the part of the Kogi, and their belief system is rooted in a profound sense of duty for carrying out the will of Mother Earth and insuring the well-being of this living planet. When the Younger Brother, with his vanity driven by greed and ambition, thinks that he is running things in this world, that is when the Kogi believe that the planet and our existence on it has become endangered.

Amongst the Kogi there are elders known as Mamas, who are traditional leaders akin to being shamans, or priests. These Mamas are seers, and as such they have the natural ability to penetrate higher planes of existence and hidden causes. They understand the vital truth of the maxim "as above, so below." It is my understanding that one of the responsibilities these Mamas have taken upon themselves is to pray for Mother Earth on a continuing daily basis.

All of our thoughts, intents and actions are a form of energy that spiral around in the invisible world that surrounds us all. These energetic patterns and intentions ultimately become manifest as the "reality" that we ultimately draw to ourselves, and come to create and experience in our day to day lives.

Through daily prayer it is believed that the Mamas are able to intercept and dissipate negative energetic thought patterns that emanate constantly from the greed and fear induced world that the rest of us unconsciously chose to live in. This tide of negative energetic thought, however, has been growing steadily and it has taken on overwhelming proportions. The Mamas are effectively burning out from this onslaught and this, in turn, has prompted the normally reclusive Kogi to speak out.

In 1990 the Kogi decided to communicate to the rest of the world for the first time. They had survived by keeping themselves isolated but they also realised that it was time to send a message to the Younger Brother. They could see that something was wrong with their mountain - with the heart of the world. The snows had stopped falling and the rivers were not so full. If their mountain was ill then the whole world was in trouble.

Their elders sent a member who spoke Spanish to contact a British filmmaker who was in Colombia at that time. They asked the BBC to make a film to tell the Younger Brother about their concern. The film was called "The Elder Brother's Warning" or "The Message from the Heart of the World". Alan Ereira, the producer, also ended up writing a book about the Kogi called "The Heart of the World". Despite the powerful message of both the film and the book, these efforts have unfortunately yielded little in the way of substantive change in the ensuing years.

In the Spring of 2001 I read in a local newspaper that two Kogi elders had decided to come forward yet again with another plea for the well-being of this planet. From what little I knew about the Kogi I was aware that they preferred to live in isolation high in the mountains, as far away as possible from the rest of mankind. Therefore, if they were coming forward to speak now, I knew there was an important message to be heard.

On May 9, 2001 I went to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, accompanied by my daughter. In a lobby outside one of the auditoriums approximately 100 people had gathered to hear the Kogi message. The buzz in the air was palpable as we all awaited the arrival of the elders.

Before long the Kogi appeared, accompanied by a small entourage that included an interpreter. But as soon as the Kogi entered the lobby they were mobbed like rock stars. Well-wishers of all kinds surged forward to give greeting, and within seconds the two terrified Kogi were all but lost in the phalanx of the teeming crowd.

Standing about 20 feet away I could tell from the distressed looks on their faces that these elders were not enjoying the experience of being touched by many strange hands in the centre of this crowd.

Leaning over I said to my daughter that we would stay where we were, and would not join in the madness of the crowd. As soon as this thought entered my mind one of the Kogi elders suddenly turned to face me, and looking through the sea of heads he locked eyes with mine, and held his gaze.

In that precise moment it seemed as if he had "heard" my innermost thought, as if telepathically, and in making eye contact he was giving his reply. Inside I could sense a powerful energetic vibration, and could literally "feel" him communicate something akin to saying "thank you for respecting my space".

Before long we all moved into the auditorium to hear what the elders had to say. Through the interpreter it was explained that for each of the last several years the Kogi have watched lichen creep progressively higher up the sides of their mountain - a sure sign that the warming trend of this planet is continuing unabated. But the incident that gave them the greatest alarm occurred the previous Autumn.

The Kogi described an annual ceremony they perform in which insect larvae is wrapped inside bundles of leaves, which are then suspended from tree branches as welcoming gifts to the migrating birds who arrive every year. The balance of Nature is such that every year the larvae transform themselves into flying insects at precisely the same time the migrating birds arrive - thereby providing a veritable feast at the very moment it is required by the hungry and weary travellers.

In the Autumn of 2000, however, the Kogi noticed for the first time a serious imbalance in this dynamic. The larvae transformed and dissipated into swarms several weeks before the birds arrived, creating first an infestation of insects, followed shortly thereafter by a decimated population of exhausted and starving birds.

This has signalled to the Kogi that the imbalance of the Earth has now accelerated to become a serious wobble, and if yesterday's experience with the Great Blue Heron is any indicator - the wobble has not gotten better.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If yesterday's Earth Hour was intended to raise awareness about climate change, then hopefully your awareness has been raised by reading this post.

Holt Renfrew Fires its Doorman after 21 Years

2011-03-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

High end fashion retailer Holt Renfrew has fired Tom Hargitai, who was the doorman at their flagship store in downtown Toronto for the past 21 years. The only statement given was that it was "not for performance reasons".

In an interview with the Toronto Star I found it very telling that Hargitai was noting the changing retail landscape of downtown Toronto, where the high end Holt's location is now flanked by lower end stores such as Gap and Zara.

Gap is a clothing retailer that offers cheap "fashion" thanks, in part, to their success at employing child slave labour in places like India. Zara, meanwhile, is an industry leader at rapidly knocking off high end fashion with low cost facsimiles.

"It's not what it was." Hargitai is quoted as saying. "Holt's used to stand out. The classy days are gone."

While it may be true that the "classy days" are gone, hopefully the few remaining aficionados of class, and purveyors of class, are merely endangered species.

In the meantime it's sad to say that Hargitai's best job opportunity at this point may be as a greeter at Walmart.

The Most Recognizable Chair in the World?

2011-03-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I was a fan of the original series of Star Trek.
Yes, I am aware that this attests to my age.

The original Star Trek ran for only 3 seasons (1966 to 1969) but lived on in reruns - eventually developing a strong following that included me as a teenager. The show's main cast of characters included Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, "Bones" McCoy, and Scotty the chief engineer. The sinister Klingons were always lurking somewhere in the shadows of deep space. Ubiquitous lines attributed to those early episodes often include: "Beam me up, Scotty", "Phasers on stun", and "Illogical, Captain".

Captain Kirk's chair on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise was a prop that was seen in almost every episode, and there was something about it that I always found fascinating. I remember thinking that some lucky dude must have had the coolest job in the world to be designing and building that thing.

Recently I came across an online article which described this chair as the most expensive piece of "Star Trek: The Original Series" memorabilia ever sold at auction. It realized a final sales price of $304,750 (on a bid of $265,000) as Lot 175 in the historic Profiles In History Bob Justman Star Trek Auction held June 27th, 2002 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Profiles auction catalog description provided some interesting construction insights, exact dimensional information, and what were at-the-time previously unseen photos of its current condition. The significant technical portion of the essay is reproduced below:

175. COMMAND CHAIR AND PLATFORM FROM THE “U.S.S. ENTERPRISE”. The original Captain’s Chair from the bridge of the legendary starship, U.S.S. Enterprise. Constructed at the Desilu Culver Studios in November of 1964, this world-renowned chair was first used by actor Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Christopher Pike in the first pilot, The Cage, and remained the focal point of the bridge throughout the entire series as Captain James T. Kirk’s seat of command.

The original design for the bridge was the responsibility of Art Director Pato Guzman and Set Designer Walter “Matt” Jefferies (after the first pilot, Jefferies became the Art Director throughout the entire series). Although construction of the Enterprise sets was an orchestrated team effort, Special Effects Supervisor Jim Rugg and Matt Jefferies were the two primary people involved in its design and construction.

The outer block-frame of the chair is crafted from plywood and painted battleship grey in color. The wide-spaced armrests contain the controls and switches used by Capt. Kirk to engage various functions of the starship. Set within the frame is the original Naugahyde-covered seat with stained wooden armrests.

The chair is mounted on a wooden pedestal base that features a spring-loaded swivel which centered the chair after the Captain rose from it on either side. The rectangular base of the chair is covered in the original Ozite ® carpet which covered the entire floor of the Enterprise bridge.

The left arm control panel and switches remain as they appeared on the final episode, Turnabout Intruder. [More than once, the special effects crew changed the composition and layout of the control panels to adhere to script requirements.] On the right arm control panel, the owner reinstalled the original five white-button control unit.

Four ceramic, 25-watt light sockets, surrounded with tinfoil to protect the encircling wood from the heat, are mounted in a space beneath the control panel. The base of the chair holds a power cord wired to the sockets which, when powered, would illuminate the colored epoxy resin buttons and switches (one of the epoxy resin “lights” is missing).

The base of the chair is 42 in. wide x 35 in. deep, and stands 9 ¼ in. height. The chair itself is 39 in. wide (from arm to arm), with a 25 ¾ in. tall backrest. The seat of the chair rises 14 in. from the bottom of the base.

The late owner picked up the chair and accompanying set pieces (Lots. 176-183) in 1969 after he received a call from a friend at Paramount Pictures, who alerted him to the fact that the entire Star Trek set was being scrapped and that, if he was interested, he was welcome to get whatever items he wanted before they were thrown away.

A true icon of entertainment history, the Captain’s Chair is visible in literally every single episode of this beloved, legendary series and is, without question, one of the most important discoveries in the history of television memorabilia, and arguably the most recognizable chair in the world.

Three of a Kind?

2011-03-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I received an urgent email from a freelance writer who claimed to be on a deadline to submit a design article to Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper. She was keenly interested in my Bow Tie pedestal table, so I quickly sent her specifications, pricing and high resolution images.

It was only after the article was published that I realized what it really was. Called "Three of a Kind", the article was one of an ongoing series of abbreviated sound bytes which take 3 similar looking pieces of furniture to compare them - primarily on the basis of price.

One previous article compared a $2560.00 Le Corbusier club chair to a $499.00 POS from Ikea. What was the main point of comparison between the two? Both were chairs covered in blue fabric.

A solid birch 3 legged table by Tom Dixon was ambushed in a similar fashion when compared to repackaged landfill offerings from Ikea and West Elm.

What I find unfair about this kind of homogenized design pseudo-journalism is that it doesn't properly compare apples to apples. For example, my Bow Tie table is a hand made one-of-a-kind piece that is crafted from FSC and NAUF certified woods, non-UF glue and low VOC finish. The top has a hand cut diamond matched inlay pattern, with additional inlays in the collar and plinth made of traditional holistic woods such as Black Walnut and Narra. It's no surprise that this table ended up being the priciest of the three shown.

The cheapest of the tables was a variation of a block stool that is imported by the containerload from some place in Africa. The table at the intermediate price point is a similar looking piece of mass production that is also imported by the containerload, only in this case from a factory run by Gus* Modern in China.

In the grand scheme of things this "Three of a Kind" concept of literary penmanship isn't all that difficult to emulate, as I'll demonstrate here with the following 3 examples of cars.

Please study these images carefully. One is of a finely engineered $2900.00 precision instrument manufactured by Tata Motors of India. At the middle price point we have a Buick Regal by General Motors, which has a base price of $27,000.00. (It's unclear from the photo whether this particular Regal has been manufactured in North America, or at one of the new GM factories recently built in China). Finally we have a Maybach 57S Coupe that has been customized by Xenatec of Germany to the tune of $1,000,000.00.

Can you tell them apart, even though all 3 of these cars share seemingly identical silvery paint finishes?

Lamborghini Gallardo Destroyed With Sledgehammers

2011-03-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I'd seen it all, along comes a guy named Han Nan.

What could be more ironic than a Chinese factory owner destroying a $450,000.00 Lamborghini Gallardo because of anger over "poor quality" issues? (The price tag is the amount that Nan claims his company paid for the car).

Apparently this fellow, who runs a wholesale lighting factory in Qingdao, was so upset with the shoddiness of this car that he ordered it destroyed with sledgehammers - in a public spectacle no less.

One can only hope that the Quality Control department in Nan's facility is working to the same high standards on the stuff they're pumping out to the rest of us.

In the meantime I'd suggest to Lamborghini that they authenticate whether the car and all its components are actually authentic. For all anyone knows this thing could be a knock-off.

Old Love Letter Found in Chair

2011-03-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Intriguing stories involving furniture always pique my interest.

Today I learned of a 200-year-old love letter being discovered inside the arm of an antique chair that was being upholstered somewhere in England.

The note was written in French, and was tucked in the arm of a chair that had been purchased at a house clearance in France.

Graham Simpson, the owner of Theocus Furniture, said: "I just hope it reached the lady it was intended for all those years ago."

"When I started to work on the arm" said Simpson, "I could see a small note, tightly folded up about the size of a penny."

"When I opened it, to my amazement it was a note written in pencil; in old French."

The chair's owner, Georgina Mucklow-Davis, explained that it came from a house in the village of St Marcel sur Aude. She went on to say that she purchased it "from a lovely French family who've been living there for over 150 years".

She has written to the family asking if they have any idea who might have written the letter.

Intrigued to see what the note said, Simpson posted photographs of it on Facebook and a friend was able to translate it.

The style of language used indicated that it was composed about 200 years ago, at the time of - or shortly after - the French Revolution.

The letter was written from a man to a woman, and had been sent from the town of Mercurol in the Alps.

"It is wonderful to have such a unique little note find its way from the Alps to my shop in Tewkesbury" said Mr. Simpson.

The translated letter reads as follows:

My dear small love, do not be worried, do you seriously believe I would tell anything to these people, who don't understand anything about love?

If someone insists that I say something, it will be anything but the dear love acquired by you, which is the great treasure hidden in my heart.

I didn't tell you to come yesterday because I didn't have the opportunity, but do come every Tuesday around 5:30, and Fridays as well; I count/hope on you tomorrow.

At the moment I write this letter, I can hear my aunt yelling, who else annoys us all day long, today and tomorrow.

My dear, I cover you with kisses and caresses until... I need you in this moment of desire. I love you.

As Richard Bach once said: "True love stories never have endings."

Strange Fish Swarms off Coast of Acapulco

2011-03-15T04:37:00.000-07:00

There are media reports of unusual fish swarms showing up off the coast of Acapulco, Mexico.

Many "experts" are concluding that this has been caused by last week's massive earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan.

Perhaps that's true.

But we should also consider another perspective. Namely, instead of assuming that these swarms are the result of something that's already happened, perhaps they're a foreshadowing of something yet to come.

Back in 2005 a magazine called "The Walrus" published an article that talked of strange events taking place in the weeks leading up to the devastating 2004 earthquake and tsunami in south-east Asia. Apparently there were also schools of fish acting very much out of character in the weeks leading up to that event, in addition to large trees falling over for no apparent reason days before the quake happened.

The article is called "Danger Signs" and it was written by Larry Frolick.

Perhaps our human brains should be a little more humble with respect to making assumptions that we have Mother Nature figured out.

Some Vintage Woodworking Tools in My Shop

2011-03-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

Today's post will show some vintage woodworking tools - some of which are still being used on a regular basis in my shop.

This antique veneer tape dispenser and bristle brush are both relics from my grandfather's original shop in Holland. The tape dispenser is still a very practical tool for doing veneer layups.

This wooden level belonged to my father, and it was made by a company called T.E. Paske N.V. in Aalten, Holland.

This level was also my father's, and it was hand made by a tool artisan in the legendary village of Eskilstuna, Sweden.

My father's veneer hammer, which has seen many decades of use.

Many years ago my father purchased this moisture meter, which is the model J-88 made by Delmhorst Industries in the USA. It still has its original leather case and synthetic terminal cover. Best of all it also continues to work like a charm, which means that we still use it on a regular basis.

The first person my father ever hired was a brilliant wood finisher by the name of Art Welton, who was trained as a traditional finisher in England. This putty knife was made in England and was Art's favorite tool. He was heartbroken when he snapped off the corner one day while trying to pry the lid off a can.

Art has long since retired and passed away, and I keep this tool in my office alongside a photo of him - in honour of his memory.

I purchased this Mastercraft ratchet and socket set when I was 16 years old. In those days it was still possible for a kid to go under the hood of a car to change spark plugs or adjust the carburator. This set is still of better quality than most of the offshore import tools you see today.

This "antique" is a Sharp FO-200 fax machine, which used state-of-the-art thermal fax paper. It is a vintage 1986 tool, and I remember it being such a leap forward in technology at the time to help us communicate with custom furniture clients in distant places such as New York and Chicago.

Thermal paper machines such as this one were later replaced by plain paper faxes. Today, fax machines are almost totally obsolete, given the breadth of alternative digital communications tools now available.

Last but not least is the first Motorola cell phone. This thing was literally and figurative a brick, and I first got one of these beasts sometime in the early 1990s. This piece of analog technology could ONLY send and receive telephone calls. Nothing else. I can't recall whether the early versions could even take or retrieve messages. They certainly didn't have the ability for text, email, Internet, games, photos, videos, or fancy rings tones.

Although the cell phone and fax machine are not vintage woodworking tools per se, they were both effective tools that assisted with the business end of woodworking and custom furniture making.

What I find most interesting of all about the above images is that it is the oldest and most manual of tools that are still the most viable and usable today. Except for the moisture meter all of the other electronic tools are now obsolete.

This is definitely a sign of the times. Woodworking and custom furniture making both remain very much a traditional craft that uses tools and processes that are the same as they've been for generations.

On the other hand the traditional method of generating sales by means of word-of-mouth marketing is no longer sufficient in today's world. I believe that even the traditional woodworker must adapt to changing times and technologies when it comes to marketing and communications. At the moment this means embracing the new paradigm of using tools such as social media.

Hence, the existence of this blog - as well as my website, Facebook page, and Linkedin , Twitter and Youtube channels.

Poor Stanchion Design Strikes Once Again in the NHL

2011-03-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post I suggested that poor stanchion design is what's causing some serious injuries in the NHL, as illustrated recently with the incident between Zdeno Chara and Max Pacioretty.

Once again a player has been injured because of this, and this time it was Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings.

You can't blame Chara for this one.