Category Archives: Furniture

Thicknessing Fir

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wide old-growth fir

Face jointing fir for a Nakashima-inspired build.

I try not to hoard wood, though odds and ends do accumulate. I did buy some wide fir boards circa 2015 for a solid version of the Juhl coffee table. The death of my jointer-planer put a stop to that build, so the stock, most of it still rough, lingered on a shelf.

A new commission for a compact media stand caused me to revisit that fir, and with the dead machinery banished from basement, I was forced to surface it by hand. I don’t enjoy jointing or thicknessing by hand, nor do I recommend it. But it is a viable option for board too wide to fit a powered jointer and planer. And whoosh of a sharp blade across a board and the scent of fresh-cut fir do offer a certain pleasure. Still, I was more than happy to finish stock preparation and move on to the build.

A Mid-Century Dresser

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mid-Century Modern dresser

A wide Mid-Century Modern dresser with a mitered plywood case.

I spotted this Mid-Century modern dresser at thrift store in Saugerties, New York. It features a mitered plywood case overhanging a leg-and-aprons base. Though the white knobs create a jarring effect, the design and build feature some thoughtful details. The grain runs continuously across the drawer fronts in each row, with the top narrower than those below. The heavy, curved molding breaks the facade, and the mitered divider creates more visual interest than would a divider meeting the outer frame in a simple straight line. The faceted leg offers an interesting alternative to a turned or straight leg, with the curved ends of the long apron providing a subtle counterpoint to the strong horizontal lines of the case.

Construction seems straightforward, with a mitered case and mortise-and-tenoned base. Care in execution and subtle details elevate what might otherwise be an uninteresting design, which is an important reminder about the cumulative effect a series of small details has on a finished work. I would still use different pulls if I were reproducing the design.

 

More Information

I’ve written extensively on furniture of this period both here and in my book Mid-Century Modern Furniture (available on Amazon and ShopWoodworking).

Mackintosh Tea Table–Construction

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A tea table by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

The carved leaves present the greatest joinery challenge in this reproduction of a Mackintosh tea table design.

Reproduced in quarter sawn white oak, this tea table designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh shows its art nouveau and Arts & Crafts roots, perhaps mores than in the original’s white painted finish. The carved leaves are the most daunting aspect of the build; otherwise construction relies on dadoes and half-blind dovetails. Patterns for the shelf, top, and cutouts help make quick work of repetitive actions.

More Information

  • Read more about the table’s design here.
  • I detailed this build in the October 2017 issue of Popular Woodworking.

Mackintosh Tea Table–Design

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Willow Tea Room Table

Mackintosh’s design for a tea table features an elliptical top over a base with four slatted legs. Set to follow the curve of the top, the legs feature carved leaves set in cutouts.

In a world where living room furniture is often designed around the TV, a tea table can seem an anachronism. Shorter than a dining table, they provided a space for conversation over tea. Today they can still serve for intimate dining or largish occasional tables. This design by the Scottish Architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh features an elliptical top over a base with four slatted legs. The legs are set at an angle relative to the base so that they appear to follow the curve of the top. Cutouts frame carved leaves, an organic embellishment showing an art nouveau influence.

Glasgow School of Art

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Glasgow School of Art

Mackintosh designed the Glasgow School of Art in two phases. This archival photo from the GSA’s collection shows it after completion of the second phase.

Although it met with mixed reviews upon its completion in 1909, Mackintosh’s design for the Glasgow School of Art is now generally regarded as his masterpiece. Built in two phases, it bookends the peak of his creativity. Today later construction has crowded the building, so it is interesting to see it captured, as in this photo from the School’s archive, in its original context.

Mackintosh Argyle Street Side Chair

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Detail of Mackintosh side chair

Though time hasn’t been kind to this example of Mackintosh’s side chair for the Argyle Street Tea Room, the back still shows a high degree of work, including the cutout and pierced and curved stiles.

I was in Glasgow recently to take a look at the furniture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. I began my tour at The Lighthouse, Mackintosh’s first public commission for the Glasgow Herald. The building has been reimagined as a gallery and museum, featuring a fine overview of Mackintosh’s work (and spectacular view of the city from its repurposed water tower. This example of Mackintosh’s design for a side chair for Catherine Cranston’s Argyle Street Tea Room shows its age in the cracked back, but age doesn’t diminish the distinction of the design. The cutout evoking a bird in flight shows an Art Nouveau influence, and the high back creates a strong impression of verticality while also fostering an air of intimacy around the table. Having sat at in one of these at the Tea Room, I can report the design is more attractive than comfortable.

More Information

See the side chair in the Museum of Modern Art’s online collection.

Mackintosh Argyle Side Chair

Mackintosh designed this distinctive side chair for Catherine Cranston’s Argyle Street Tea Room

Limbert No. 239 Tabouret–Construction

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Limbert Number 239 tabouret

Limbert’s No. 239 Tabouret in fumed white oak.

While the tapered columnar base looks a bit elaborate, building it is relatively straightforward. I produced a pattern then used it to bring the sides to final shape, cut their mitered edges, and plow the grooves for the corbels. After roughing out the side blanks, I then routed them to final size with a pattern bit and mitered the edges with a  45-degree chamfer bit. A a 3/4-inch guide ring kept the ¼-inch spiral upcut bit straight as I plowed the grooves.

I took my usual approach to corbels, then cut the top to final size and chamfered its edges lightly. After sanding things to 220 grit, I fumed the table and applied a coat of boiled linseed oil. While I generally prefer to prefinish my parts that decision here proved problematic: packing tape does not stick to oiled wood. I had to scramble during assembly, replacing packing tape with masking tape and a couple of strategically-placed clamps. Despite this obstacle, I managed to get the base together, then installed the corbels, using a shaped caul and clamps to glue each one in place. Screws through corner brackets attach the top to the base.

Step-by_step Mid-century Modern Coffee Table Available Now

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Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table Cover

My step-by-step video on building a coffee table in the style of Finn Juhl is now available on shopwoodwhorking.com.

The second video I shot at the Popular Woodworking shop in January is now available on DVD and download. Include with the step-by-step video is a cut list and pattern for the tapered leg.

I find the minimalist design quite appealing–I especially like the effect of the floating top and the juxtaposition of sharp angles and smooth curves. I’ve built it with a plywood top to be historically accurate, (that’s the approach documented on video, too), but I think there’s enough play in the metal pegs joining base and top that movement of a solid top wouldn’t be too much of a problem. I think a solid, vertical grain fur top over a cherry base could look good.

 

More Information

If you prefer your woodworking instruction via the printed word, this Juhl-inspired coffee table is also one of the step-by-step projects featured in Mid-Century Modern Furniture.