Curves add so much

From classic Greece to today's clean contemporary designs, curves in furniture and architectural mill work add a grace and softness that most boxy designs don't have.  The rounded corners and faces both convex and concave make the furniture or built-in cabinetry more comfortable to walk around or to sit in, not to mention an appearance that helps to break up the hard straight lines everywhere around us.  

As a furniture designer/maker I have incorporated curves in French, Italian, Spanish, Neo-Classic, Arts and Crafts, and contemporary designs to name a few.  Curved lines take more experience that only a master furniture maker can accomplish successfully.  I use many techniques depending on the design.  Steam bending, laminating bending, and saw or shaped curves are often used in combination.  Here are a few examples of curves in my work.

 Contemporary Bench in Maple for The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

 Staircase made of English Brown Oak and Hand-Forged Iron

Neo-Classic Master Bath Cabinet in Birds-Eye Maple

Country French China Cabinet in Walnut, Hand-carved

Entryway with Hand-Carved Dolphins

 Contemporary Benches in Teak for The Getty Museum in Los Angeles

Spanish Revival Bar and Stools

 Kitchen Island with hand-carved ducks, cherry wood

Hand-carved Coffee Table, completed

This coffee table is made of mozambique, hand-carved with a tree, and the glass top has flying birds that are also hand- carved into the glass.  I am really pleased with how it turned out, as depicting scenes in nature is my favorite form of expression in my art.

Hand-carved Coffee Table

In-process carving of coffee table.  The tree will be carved on both sides.  The glass top will have flying birds carved on it.  

Hand-Carved Ceiling - Finished Product

Ceiling Hand Carved in Heavy Relief

I have been commissioned to design and carve an ornate ceiling for a home.   The design, which is curved and angled and flows around a ceiling soffit, is to follow a carpet that is being custom made for the room.  I mocked-up the ceiling to fit the pieces around the curves and angles so that they fit together perfectly.  Below are some pictures of my carving in progress.