Woodworker: Michael C. Fortune

The Number One Chair is a signature Fortune piece. The shape was originally inspired by a rusty piece of garden furniture and includes elements of work by Frank Lloyd Wright, Hans Wegner, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. As a designer, Fortune is equally concerned with creating pieces that can be built efficiently. He first designed this chair in 1979 and has since made more than 300 of them using a set of 38 separate workshop jigs. He has also developed a step-by-step manual for building the piece. This pair features Macassar ebony, pure silver and mother-of-pearl inlay. The finish is oil.

Photo: Michael Cullen