Furniture DesignDuring my 4th and 5th years at Notre Dame, I completed a concentration in Furniture Design, which focused on both the design and fabrication of furniture pieces. Each piece was made by me over the course of a semester.
The first project completed was a coffee table inspired by the Mission period. Made with black walnut, I wanted to include subtle details that highlight the construction of the piece, such as the through-tenons of the spindles into the top. |
2nd & 3rd Semester
My second and third semester projects were a desk and chair set inspired by shapes of Sheraton and ornamental simplicity of Biedermeier furniture.
The desk was designed with a double-leaf top that could tilt for drafting or open and rotate to function as a layout or dining table. Two side drawers and an open central compartment are ideal for drafting implements and trace. The chair was made to complement the desk, using the same cherry wood and leg forms. This was also my first foray into upholstery.
The desk was designed with a double-leaf top that could tilt for drafting or open and rotate to function as a layout or dining table. Two side drawers and an open central compartment are ideal for drafting implements and trace. The chair was made to complement the desk, using the same cherry wood and leg forms. This was also my first foray into upholstery.
4th Semester
My final project was a bench inspired by the Vienna Secession. This was the culmination of all the the design ideas I had sketched and construction techniques I had learned over the previous semesters. I wanted to explore the tension between solid and void, curved and rectilinear lines, creating a cohesive whole.
The shape of the front legs were a play on a forms I had explored in the desk and chair set. The side panels were originally intended to have square cutouts similar to the coffee table (omitted to leave the swooped forms clean). My favorite touch was holding the back and seat off the sides, creating a feeling that those elements are floating off of perched legs.
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