"Arts and Crafts" Study

I put the "Arts and Crafts" in the title above in quotes as this will not be a strict reproduction or copy of any particular A&C design, but rather a design arrived at by assimilating details from historic designers ( C.R.Ashbee, Greene and Greene and Frank Lloyd Wright ) that we like, as well as input from the client as to how he will use and work in the room and what exact stuff will go where. We spent quite a bit of time discussing and designing, but returned to the maxim that 'Form follows function, space, stuff we like, and the architecture of the rest of the house'. That said, the project consists of a 12 foot long, eight and a half foot high bookcase, and a 12 foot desk opposite it, in front of the windows. The starting point details are adapted from pieces I did earlier in the Ashbee Style. The drawer hardware is adapted from a photo in the Greene and Greene book by Randall Makinson. This study is in the same house as the potrack in the 'Metal and Wood Potrack' post below and the 'Arts and Crafts Mantle' above.... click the pictures to enlarge ...
When we finished this project, the clients posted a very much appreciated testimonial as a comment on the 'Open Studio' blog entry above. here's a cut and paste of it ...

" 1 comments:
Stephen Rubino said...
Best design collaboration and execution of detail ever experienced. Thanks Dan,Will, Jeremy and rest of staff. We'll be back!

Steve & Helen Rubino
Margate, Nj
www.rossandrubino.com "
May 28, 2008 1:54 AM


All done except we left the center counter out for this assembly because we didn't want to risk scratching it and we know if fits, plus the ceiling fan was in the way. The louver for the ac return is on, the unercounter drawer is hung and it's ready to roll .... Next tuesday ...

close up of the louver

Close up of the drawer case with the finish on it and the Greene and Greene style drawer pulls

The whole 140" of it

The bookcase is now in the finishing room 5/8/08

The Greene and Greene style drawer faces are on the desk

Looking like it's going to be a pretty big one ...

Early stages of the lower bookcase construction, desk upside down behind it

Some of the vertical inlaid stiles of the bookcase and desk .. cherry and walnut

The desk almost ready for finishing

Upside down showing the understructure

Last desk drawing, to which we made some additional changes while we were building

The drawing for the bookcase