General
Most commissions begin with a meeting at the client site whether home or office. This initial meeting allows us to begin creating a general design concept. Many clients have images or descriptions of pieces they enjoy that can be used to direct the style of the requested piece. After the overall project scope is defined at the initial meeting an initial price and contract is presented. Once the contract has been approved and a deposit placed I will usually generate rendered 3-D computer models for client approval. Additional computer sketches will be created if necessary for specific project details. These computer models enable me to work back and forth with the client to finalize a design that represents the exact desires of the individual.
Depending upon the size of the project being undertaken the cabinetmaking phase may take between 8-16 weeks. Larger built-in projects will require multiple visits to the installation location for measurement and template creation. The process of creating custom handmade furniture is a time consuming and detailed one. Clients are welcome to visit the shop at any time to view progress on their project. At certain times I may request the client visit the shop to approve specific details or to work through a particular design issue.
Marquetry
Over the past few years I have begun incorporating marquetry imagery in the form of flowers, branches and animals into some of my furniture. I see the addition of decorative marquetry as a doorway into unique and exiting visual forms and more expressive freedom. Marquetry is the craft of covering a structural carcass with veneer forming decorative patterns, designs or pictures. Materials associated with marquetry typically have included wood, ivory, bone, mother-of-pearl, brass and others. My marquetry furniture combines the structural geometry of a man made object with the asymmetry of nature represented in flower and leaf patterns and motifs.
The majority of the marquetry veneer patterns in my work are cut in the traditional 18th century French Boulle method, also known as the packet cutting method. The Boulle method requires cutting all the elements of the design simultaneously with the background. Cutting is done on a chevalet de marqueterie, or marquetry donkey of French design also from the 18th century or using modern scroll saws. Specific components are then sand-shaded to create the illusion of depth and shadows. The veneer work is then glued to the furniture carcass using a combination of traditional hide glue and modern glues including epoxy, urea formaldehyde and polyvinyl acetate.
Incorporating marquetry into a custom piece of furniture can add considerable time to the design and construction process but it allows the client to possess a piece that is truly unique. Each marquetry design is hand drawn leaf-by-leaf and flower-by-flower to create imagery that both flows naturally and is true to the artistic vision of the project being created. These marquetry designs typically begin with photos of the shapes and patterns of the flower and leaf design being created. The process then progresses into hand drawings that go through many revisions as the lines and shapes of the individual components of the design are finalized. These final drawings are the cutting template for the marquetry veneer packets and are used throughout the construction process to guide the design to its final finished shape.
Finishing
Occasionally I send select pieces of my furniture to a professional finishing company in San Diego. This finisher has 25 years of professional experience and is able to provide virtually unlimited finishing options at a quality level not possible in a small shop environment. The finishing process for many pieces can be very time consuming and labor intensive. I work with my clients to determine the best finish for each piece built; from hand rubbed oil/varnish mixes and lacquers to high gloss polished polyester and everything in between. All final polishing on high gloss finishes is done in my shop to ensure the highest quality for my clients.
Please contact me directly for any of your furniture or cabinet needs.