Tekendoos Keepsake Boxes

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

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

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

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.

"My Grain" Exhibition at The Guild Shop

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.

Women's Health Research Awards - Goddess Keepsake Boxes

Several years ago the Ontario Women's Health Council approached The Guild Shop in Toronto to design special gifts that could be presented to recipients of the Women's Health Research Award.

For this occasion I was commissioned to make special keepsake boxes with bottoms and lids crafted from a single block of solid wood.



The wood used to make these boxes came from a special sampling of Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) that was specifically chosen for its traditional use in holistic healing. Native American medicine women discovered through many generations of trial, error and observation that this wood has medicinal properties that are believed to be conducive to the prevention and treatment of disease.

In recent years a scientific basis for this traditional wisdom has been discovered, and these active molecules (known scientifically as ellagitannins) are now at the leading edge of research into finding a cure for cancer.


Inlaid into the lid of each box was a specially design avatar, symbolizing woman as Goddess. The interior bottoms were lined in leather.

Gentleman's Valet Stand

In 2003 I was invited by The Guild Shop in Toronto to participate in their "Turning Traditions" exhibition. Wanting to build something new for this event I designed a custom valet stand specifically to meet the needs of today's man.



This Gentleman's Valet Stand measures 25" wide x 25" deep x 52-3/4" high in the closed position. When the split shell opens the dimensions increase to 39" wide x 26-3/4" deep.

The exterior is crafted from a rare sampling of Curly Birds Eye Maple, which has been an integral part of my core stash of for many years. A purfling of Mahogany and Ebony is interwoven as inlay on all 4 sides, plus top.



The cabinet interior is crafted from quarter cut Makore, with 7 drawers stacked over a pair of lower doors. The upper drawer is fitted with compartments for wrist watches, cuff links, billfolds and fountain pens.



The image inlaid into the top of the chest is that of a turtle, and its form was inspired by an ancient aboriginal rock glyph. Not only is this image symbolic of protection, but given that turtles do not move very fast it also suggests the need for patience.

Pedestal Jewel Box from the "Boxed Jewels" Exhibition

In 2006 The Guild Shop in Toronto showcased some examples of my work at an exhibition called "Boxed Jewels". The following Pedestal Jewel Box was one of the pieces on display.

Oddly enough it's only been recently that I've finally made the effort to have this thing photographed, largely because this design became the inspiration for a custom watch winder box we recently completed .

This Pedestal Jewel Box measures 12-5/8" wide x 11-1/8" deep x 49-1/2" overall height. When open it measures 16-3/8" wide. The pedestal is made of FSC certified Nero Vermelho which has been sculpted into an entasis shape using the same geometric proportions used by the ancient Greeks to construct the Parthenon in Athens.

The exterior of the split shell box is crafted out of some of my core stash of rare veneers - in this case the last of my spectacular Amboyna Cluster Burl that was first used to make the Amboyna Bed back in 1998.

The box interior is made of African Padauk, with the 5 undulating drawer fronts sculpted from solid stock. The drawer boxes are solid mahogany fitted with sliding dovetails. The drawer bottoms are lined in black Tuscany leather.