A longtime fascination with chatoyance, that beautiful illumination of light shining on wood that you have to move back and forth to see, led Tierney to design this desk. “I figured why should you have to move to see it when the piece of furniture could move to show it to you,” he said. He developed a wood skin that moves fluidly to show off the play of light and shadow. A motor makes the front of the desk move, while a light bar illuminates the wood.

BLACK WALNUT, CURLY BIRCH, TIGER MAPLE, BALTIC-BIRCH PLYWOOD, IPÉ 24D X 47W X 29 1/2H (DESKTOP), 37H (OVERALL)

– Eain Tierney, Ticonderoga, N.Y.

Photo: Anthony Anselmo

From Fine Woodworking #280