Arts and Crafts sideboard
I have always been fond of the slow arc found in many American arts and crafts bottom rails. I borrowed that arc and incorporated it into the door rails, mirror and top. The drawer fronts and door rails are shop made veneer slices from a board that echos the line of that arc.
This Honduras mahogany sideboard is designed in an arts and crafts tradition. As noted in the photo captions, I started the design with variations on a long slow curve (seen in Harvey Ellis’ work as well as other arts and crafts designers) and echoed it in various elements of the piece: rails, mirror, grain pattern, top, corbels and carvings.
The construction is rail and panel throughout and all of the materials are solid lumber. Drawer bottoms are eastern hard maple and the secodary wood is Lombardy poplar. Ebony was used for the handmade door catches. All drawer and door fronts are shop sawn veneer slices from a single board as are the side and door panels. Drawer construction uses English style beaded drawer slips in contrasting colors to the light maple drawer bottoms. The drawer design is a variation on that used by Charles and Henry Greene.
The wood was filled with a dark stained filler, dyed, and top coated with blonde shellac (base, drawers and doors) and varnish (top).
The beveled mirror was ground by HyLite Mirror and Glass in Seattle.
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I have always been fond of the slow arc found in many American arts and crafts bottom rails. I borrowed that arc and incorporated it into the door rails, mirror and top. The drawer fronts and door rails are shop made veneer slices from a board that echos the line of that arc.
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The Greene and Greene drawer designs often incorporated pillowed finger joints, top and bottom beads and carved pulls. My drawers and doors borrow from these design elements.
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I used a long carved corbel to create a vertical echo of the slow curve found in the horizontal elements and to introduce an organic component through the carving.
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The carved foot is meant to be a continuation of the organic theme and arc starting at the top of the corbel.
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A variation on the Greene and Greene drawer design.
Comments
Nice Lee. John's photos are top notch too. Thanks for posting such an elegant piece.
Exceptional work.
Beautiful work Lee, i love the lines and the corbel and foot carvings are wonderful. Excellent interpretation of the classic nuances!
Brandon O'Flaherty
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