Batteries not required......

Made in America.  We hear that a lot more these days, but what does that really mean?  I believe that American craftsmanship refuses to become extinct, though at times I feel like the last of a dying breed. I grew up in the "wonder years", the 50's.  It was a time when kids were left to their own imaginations, a time of discovery, but does that magic still exist today?

If you were lucky, you had a few of dad's hand tools to borrow. A hammer, a saw, a hatchet, and maybe a brace and several bits for drilling holes when needed and of course a jack knife. When a project needed lumber, we searched the town or dump for discards, or disassembled something we had built before, and reworked it into a tree house, a rocket, race car, raft, or fort or countless other things. Nails were precious, and didn't always come easy. We got our nails by pulling them from old boards, and pounding them straight, ready to be used again. The extras, were collected in a coffee can. The projects required a lot of time and energy. We often started in the morning , and worked until dusk, stopping for lunch, supper and an occasional drink from a garden hose. Nothing happened instantly, but we did see our dreams come true.
We dug holes, chopped trees, sawed and hammered boards and when everything was complete, we stood back and it was silent. No thumping radios, push button sound effects or flashing lights. We used our imaginations for that too.Growling engines, shifting gears and squealing tires and countless other sounds came from our voices or materials at hand to create our world and make it complete.

Children should know that the events in their lives can come from within, that they can create a wonderful world from their own imaginations and that can lead to a life of enjoyment. I am glad that I grew up knowing what "Made in America" really meant, and where the ideas came from. I don't know if I can ever get all of my dreams completed in this lifetime, because the list keeps growing.

Limited Edition Furniture.....

Limited edition is the new buzzword in furniture design. The demand for unique furniture is steadily increasing. Prototypes, one offs and limited product lines are celebrating a cult of individuality for furniture in all price categories.

In today's global environment of standardization, the exclusive, and one of a kind objects created with an artistic flair are becoming the most coveted. Our interiors have become more eclectic and  people are collecting pieces for  there aesthetic appeal as well as functionality. Individual and small shop craftsmen are filling this need by producing quality pieces combining industrial materials with a craftsman's approach in  detailed construction. We are even seeing old furniture lines trying to offer customization of their products.

Most of today's furniture producers will never reach the cult status of the Campana Brothers (Sushi II,chair in photo) who's highly sought after work auctions for hundreds of thousands of dollars in the "design Art " world, but for the creators of custom furniture in the main stream, the challenge and excitement of creating pieces that will make your home uniquely yours, is what keeps us all going forward.

Black Friday...

Did you get caught up in the Midnight frenzy of Black Friday ?  The  excitement created for the special sales event reminded me of the days I worked for Baker Furniture, and helped out with their annual furniture sale.  Baker Furniture has been a manufacturer of high end furniture for over 100 years, and their annual clearance sale was legendary. Here was your chance to but exceptional pieces of furniture at a great price. 

The sale was held at the Baker Furniture headquarters and giant warehouse on Monroe Ave. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Furniture of all descriptions were offered at deep discounts. Some pieces were new, and still in the carton,over runs, obsolete pieces, canceled orders and showroom  returns made up  the produce mix. Like black Friday sales, it was about great prices, limited quantities, and competitive hunting.

a few people would arrive several days before, and camp out in the parking lot to assure themselves a first spot in line, while another small group would fly into Grand Rapids for the event. Other creative shoppers would arrive as a group wearing color coordinated shirts or silly hats to be able to spot each other as they divided the territory in the 100, 000 sq. ft warehouse. Maps would be handed out showing locations of the various groups of furniture. Upholstery, bedrooms, dining rooms, etc. and they were ready to buy!

The Baker sale was a big event. Local TV  and newspaper crews would cover the first morning opening ceremony when the crowd would stampede through the doors for that special something. Occasional fights broke out over a special sofa, or dining table, but for the most part it was a festive event and most everyone had a good time. There are many parallels between the Baker sale and Black Friday.  The simple truth is that people still like to find a bargin, and the excitement of the hunt is a thrill many of us enjoy. Happy hunting,  shopping!

DOG TRIX

I thought it was time to get  out of the furniture main stream of tables with four legs and a top, and come up with a more whimsical piece. So here's a simple table that can add a little interest to your room.

If you love dogs or better yet, a dog you don't have to feed or take out in all types of weather, you might consider this one. Made of Walnut and finished with a hand rubbed oil finish for a completely natural look.
(could be finished with spots if required)
The dog holds his position at 24" H. The top measures 11/4" diameter.  Made in a limited edition.       C.

What a waste.......

What a waste basket. Who says a waste basket needs to be ugly, or hidden away ?  Many high profile furniture designers have included waste baskets in their design portfolios, so I thought, why not me too?  I designed this  arts and crafts styled piece after some research of  furnishings of the great lodges  built during the first quarter of the 20th century. I think it has such rustic charm, and beauty. Just because it started out as a waste basket doesn't mean that it's destined to that role. This can also be a charming piece to hold magazines and newspapers children's  toys, or maybe even a planter. Each panel is made of quartered white oak and swede leather lace. It measures 11 1/4" x 11 1/4" x 14" H. A nice accent piece to complement your arts and crafts furniture in your home, cottage or lodge. This waste basket is a perfect companion to the fall front desk I wrote about last month.

I'm back...

Hi Everyone,

As many of you may know, my email was hacked last week, and taken over by hackers who had changed my password.
My blog was shut down, and everything stopped. I couldn't access anything except facebook. It was extremely frustrating. Finally, last night after 9 days, I got everything back, including blogger, flickr, email, etc. I hope I never have to go through anything like that again. I began to set up new accounts to start over, so now I need to be contacting a number of people and straighten this situation out.
Thanks for checking out my blog. There will be new posts coming again soon.

Designed for today...

I have had this design in mind for some time, and finally made it happen. I really love arts and crafts styled furniture. I wanted to design a small desk in true Arts and crafts style, that would not take up much space, and still be attractive. Lap top computers are a common item found in most homes and apartments today, so my goal was to design a piece of furniture specifically for computer use. The small footprint makes it ideal for apartments, and is small enough to easily move around from room to room as your living space changes.
The Arts and Crafts fall front desk is not a new idea. My research has found a number of fall front desks made by all of the great Arts and Crafts manufacturers of their time. The earlier designs just were bigger, and designed as writing desks, you know, getting out the old paper and pen, so I revised the idea to be in step with todays lifestyle and way of communicating. Now you can have a great look of a true arts and crafts piece of furniture, that functions perfectly in todays environment. The fall front desk measures 26"w. x 19'd. x 50"h. It is made of quartered oak solids and veneers, and finished with an authentic fumed oak and shellac finish, just as they did it over 100 years ago. Once I had the desk, I knew it had to have a chair to match, so now you will no longer have to clear off the dining table to check your facebook, complete your homework, skype that special someone, or balance your checkbook. Here's a special place where you can do it all.