It didn’t seem like a year ago that I was last driving up I91 watching the leaves slowly start to take on color as I went further north. The organizers of the Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival had again asked me to be one of the judges. This year my fellow judges were James Murray, the Executive Director of product development and design for Simon Pearce, a company best know for its handblown glass products, and Dan Faia, the head of the Cabinet and Furniture Making department at North Bennett Street School in Boston. I reminded Dan that the last time we were together he’d set a chair on fire (see Finish Line, FWW #172)!

Despite the disruption to much of the southern part of the state caused by flooding from hurricane Irene, there was a good display of wooden products. It was particularly pleasing to see several excellent pieces in the student category so it was quite hard to decide on who should win the first prize in that category. Eventually we picked a desk made by Chris Ramos, a student at the Vermont School of Woodworking which is associated with Burlington College. Despite a very tight budget, he had created a very intriguing desk made from ebonized ash and brown maple (the heart of a maple log normally rejected in favor of the familiar creamy outer sections. The inner and outer panels created a feeling of lightness and interesting patters. When I asked Chris where the inspiration came from he replied that it just came into his head. Keep those ideas flowing!

The winner of Custom/Studio furniture category was Johns Congdon for a long hall table veneered with pommele sapele. The curved transition from the legs to the aprons must have been very challenging to shape and then veneer.

The winner of the Production Furniture category was won by Brent Karner’s ClearLake Furniture for a three part built-in piece with a very well done distressed finish.

Launch Gallery