My
Design Approach...
I am often asked
to describe what style of furniture I make to someone who has never seen
my work. My favorite tongue-in-cheek response is “rusticated, post-agricultural
contemporary country.” While this description is cumbersome, it
is fairly accurate.
My basic concept
is to use "off the shelf" parts in ways that were never intended;
as elements in the furniture. Because the shop is located on a farm, I
decided to develop that as a theme, so that is why the parts are farm
related. The idea is to make something special out of something ordinary.
Ax handles seemed to be the perfect stool leg with their gentle S-curve
and knobby foot. Pitchforks make ideal supports for chair backs, they
even have some spring when you lean back. Disc blades, used on farm equipment,
are equally good as bases for my coatrees, lamps, and music stands. These
"parts" have become significant elements in my design vocabulary,
and give the furniture its distinctive Bradford "look". |