Building Furniture

Choosing either the type or style of furniture you want to build depends both on your current skill level, and your current needs.

Building a Dining Room Table

Once a design was settled on, the construction details were pretty simple to come up with, as we already knew we wanted a light weight, and very stable table top. Due to the size of the top, (nine feet by four and a half feet), the term "light weight", still meant pretty heavy.

Demilune Tables

Demilune, or hall tables, are a great way to practice several woodworking techniques, and in the process, end up with a product with a large demand.  We often build these little tables to allow our creative juices to flow, as the combinations of design and available woods to experiment with, are seemingly endless.

Custom Desk

We often get the opportunity to design and build unique pieces of furniture. The desk described here is one such piece. While it presented some design and construction challenges, it was fun to do. It was built to fit in a home office we built previously, and had a few design limitations.

18th Century Dressing Table

One of my personal favorite styles of furniture is that done in the period of the 18th century. The beauty and grace of it is the very reason it is still a popular style even today. It is one of the most challenging styles in woodworking.  I believe the combination of the incredible understanding of proportion, and the realization of the conditions these men were working under, just adds to my amazement of it. I am quite certain if I had to work under those conditions, I would have done something else. It just sounds like hard work.

Building a Small Entertainment Center

Building a  cabinet to house these items presents the opportunity to get creative with the design, as it does have specific, purpose related requirements, as well as the need to appear to be furniture. It can be designed around the furniture already in the room, or around the television, or be a stand alone piece.

Building Rustic Wood Furniture

Whether admired in a magazine photo or experienced firsthand in a home or country inn, rustic wood furniture commands attention and inspires craftsman and woodworkers alike with its rugged yet simplistic feel. These handmade works of art are a beautiful addition to the home and some exceptional pieces have been known to sell for thousands of dollars.


Creating Furniture From Architectural Finds

In my shop, old doors, windows and hardware are staples. Let me explain. After deciding it was time to do something that I had always been interested in, but of which I had little experience or knowledge, I enrolled in a heritage carpentry program at a local college. I intended to work at restoring some of the lovely old properties in Ottawa, Ontario, where I live. Maybe that was a little naïve considering the amount of work it entailed, so I scaled my aspirations down a bit. I turned my attention to salvaging and using the doors and windows from vintage buildings, which hold a special appeal to me. I appreciate the craftsmanship of each piece.