new concept

when i first started this blog i outlined a number of things i wanted to do on here and one of those things was to show concepts and prototypes based on my design thinking and where i wanted to go with my furniture design. So this post details a new concept that i have created in mock up form. The basis of this design was to explore my interest in the muti functional, adaptable designs that are sensitive to material usage and life span. So this piece takes these ideas and thus creates a simple minimalistic style of table/functional object.
  The idea is to use a basic strong cube frame arrangement and have a designated area to be a usable surface, but this surface extends past the frame work to highlight its obscure postion and encourage the user to adapt their interaction with the design. I have also incorporated a slot in the front arm of the cube to emphasise how the surface is fixed into the cube but also to possibly highlight a weight saving option of the design (sustainability here as well) and again an adaptability by adding an extra surface/functional aspect to the cube. Thinking about it the postion and size of the surface area also highlights the need for furniture to possibly be more dynamic in size/shape to deal with peoples changing usability in that people drap,hang,lean things on or in the furniture. I think people try and find more uses for individual furniture items now and a typical side table/console table for example is being asked to do more in different environments than what it was originally designed to be in.
  The other reason for the surface being located on one side is to encourage the user to work the inside positive space which can be percieved as negative space. By putting a lamp through the frame or leaning an umbrella or simply displaying a plant inside adds a totally new dimension to the idea of a seperate table and makes the design interact more with its surrondings.
  I suppose this concept is a collection of various ideas/ideals and my attempt to try and convert these into a physical form. I think it works in that it keeps to my aesethetic minimalist, modernist style and it paves the way for a future complete design based on this conceptual statement. I also love the idea of having the surface areas of tables/functional items obscured or not ideally placed within the framework and overhanging as this encourages a different interaction and hence creates a new design identity based on usability. Changing how the piece of furniture is used or percieved.

Again its been far too long since my last post so its long over due i update this and explain what has been happening. As is usual for me i have two projects on the go. The first one is a commision i am working on for a desk for a client in leeds, i made a very quick mock up that was completed over a weekend and i then showed this to the client last weekend to get their initial recation in terms of size and overall appearence.
  The design is based on the 'cant' series of side tables and console tables i have designed recently and takes the principle of the cantilever construction but adds more structure to it so it can be used as a desk and support alot more weight. As it was a commison piece i was working to some restrcitions, mainly the size of the desk and the materials used. They decided they wanted the frame to be made of sapele wood, which i have used before and clear acrylic for the desk top. Thus providing a good contrast and that should result in a very unique and modern design.

 Since i last wrote the above paragraph the clients have decided to go for a black acylic top now, based on my 'cant' console table, so i can now start sourcing the sapele wood and ordering the acrylic and tyr and have this made before the queens jubilee, but trying to source the wood yesterday resulted in me driving all the way to the big smoke to find they were shut, so the timeframe has been put back by a few days more. but it promises to be a great, unique design that i will show on this blog soon.

  The second project i am working on is a new design for a console table and subsequent furniture pieces based on an asethetic which will run through this range, i posted two photos on twitter a while ago showing the mock up i made from good old chipboard, which is not the nicest but it is cheap and quick to cut to shape etc. The design is quite simple but the detail/overall appearance lies within the use of two contrasting woods and the relationship between them, one slightly hidden, the other promoting strength and the overall feel.

  Again since writing the above paragraph i have cut the main sections of wood for this new design from good aold sapele and a new wood im trying, iroko. which so far seems to be a very good wood to work with and has a lovely grain/patina to it. so now its just a case of joining them together and making the inner section.
  My designs seem to have a simler aesethetic to them just recently and i think its because i am trying to concentrate on making furniture that appeals to people's interaction with it and the relationship they have with it over time. So in a sense you could say im concentrating on the functional aspects but also adding a unique and different appearance. so now the hard work graft begins, the drawing and planning, researching and thinking is over and i just have to knuckle down and get them made, as always i will update the blog with photos and descriptions of my progress as well as a new prototype idea i am working on which i am gluing up as i type