The Lutyens Desk

Finished the interior structure and the base stretchers today .. 2 19
If you blow it up, you can see where we left extra stock where the curved stretchers join the side stretchers. We'll cut that curve and sand it to a point just before we glue up ...

Inspiration photo
Long post coming here .... Lots of stuff working up to this one. It's a desk based loosely on a design By Edwin Lutyens, a British Architect who worked from the 1890's into the 1940. And, whoa, was he prolific. There is a great book by Elizabeth Wilhide on his life and work ... Amazing dude. So, we took a big desk in a castle he designed and chopped out the center section, redesigned the palette and the turnings a bit, and we're having at it. It's going to be a good one ... Lots of challenging techniques too ... Click the photos to enlarge them

The finished elevation

The desk as it is today ... 2/18

Leg stock pregrooved for moldings

Rouhging out the legs with the Vega Duplicator ... chips are FLYING !

The CAD files for the stretchers

which were cut on the cnc

So they fit real nice

We mortised the legs and the lower stretcher structure on the Multi Router ...

More later

Update on The Lutyens Desk

Well, we wrapped it up on Friday. The client came to town and approved our pull design in natural cherry rather than the burl we proposed originally. It was the perfect choice as the burl pull looked 'mushy' against the burl veneer of the drawer faces. The polished cherry stands out without drawing too much attention, the perfect thing that hardware should do. This was a very interesting adaptation of a famous designer's design; we kept the original classic concept yet the client was able to add her vision to the process and in my opinion improve on the original shown at the bottom of the original post.

The finished desk

Close up of the corner showing the bubinga/walnut edge detail and drawer borders, as well as the fine leg turnings, pulls and finish by Will.

Since this desk will be used in a home office, the center drawer is given over to a keyboard flip down and mouse nest.

3/8/09 After being distracted for a bit by the Big Walnut Slabs and the new doors in the posts below, we got back on track on the desk this week. Will finished the small drawers Friday but we still have to work out the flip down front for the center keyboard drawer and build the shelf for the computer cpu to sit on. Also, as yet, the base is not glued up, awaiting final approval of the details, which we received today. The edge inlay on the top is complete and the top is ready for final sanding and finishing. It's looking like it's going to be another good one .... Click the photos to enlarge them ...

Installing the bubinga and walnut edge inlay with masking tape, our favorite handy clamp. First we put the bubinga on flush and then routed an 1/8 x 1/8" rabbet for the walnut. The walnut is long grain over the length of the top and cut across the width of the board on the ends to allow it to expand and contract with the top. Check the original post for more detail and background.

The finished edge inlay

another sir edwin lutyens inspired desk

here we have another desk in the sir edwin lutyens style

click the photos to enlarge them and see it happen from start to finish below ...

nice desk, and a job well done by my man chris bowlen ... 

this desk is the third in a series ...will built the first two at the links below ..

hardware by horton brasses in cromwell, ct

sir edwin rocked!  check out his wikipedia entry, then scroll down to his list of 'major buildings and projects' any one of which would likely occupy the typical architect for many years.  in a minor aside, the entry notes that he designed a little furniture and 'some of his designs are still on the market today'  .. 

this is one of our interpretations of one of his designs seen in the photo below.

our original client in 2009 sent us this photo, which we 'interpreted' into the piece you see at the top of this post.  that one is in cherry, bubinga and walnut, as was the second version we made in 2013 ..

the new cousin is in walnut, ebony, and walnut burl, and has a couple more drawers than the original.
 we're coming down the home stretch on it now ..

at 28" x 72" x 31" (the client is taller than most), it's the largest one we've made yet ...

we went back and forth a bit on the details and palette and finally settled on walnut burl panels with
an ebony line, quartered claro walnut borders and an american walnut legs, frame and top ..
we've done some finish samples and i'm pretty sure it will be striking when it's done ... 

it started out as lots of  parts

we started with our revised cad drawing of the original desk, lengthened it and added a second row of drawers and since it will be in the middle of the room, a stepped up back panel
and interior panels in the kneehole ..

chris roughed out the legs from a template modified from the original on our vega duplicator,
i did the final clean up and shaping of them .. just keeping my hand in .. i also worked on the structure off and on for a couple weeks while chris was in australia and new zealand .. i was happy when he got back.

we got the walnut burl veneer from ben barrett at berkshire veneer in massachusetts.  we've been buying veneer from ben for quite a while and he's always got some good stuff when we need it. we also got the drawer pulls from horton brasses in cromwell, ct.

tricky construction with the step up in the middle

and lots of edging on the top and the panels ..

only sixteen like this one .. probably 30 pieces on each panel ... lots of tape.
onward ...

Drawing and Thinking...Thinking and Drawing

Clipping above from my bulletin board ... source unknown.... been there for a while

Having just spent the weekend at the Woodstock Furniture Show, talking to people about what I do and how I do it, the theme of drawing for work and for pleasure came up many times. This is a meaty subject for me. I have been drawing, both for my business and for pleasure now for almost 30 years. A long time. It is probably, one could say, my primary tool. the origin of all things ... and, a distinct and rewarding pleasure in my life. The process mystifies and engages me. At our recent Guild meeting Friday, two items from The Furniture Society ( of which the Guild is now a member) were passed around. The newsletter, Furniture Matters, and the conference catalog, State of the Craft were distributed. Both reminded me of why I belong to both organizations (community and ideas) and why I occasionally still do shows (to talk and think about what I do). A month or so ago I received permission from Ashley to post her essay below on drawing. She catches the essence of the drawing thing. Click it to read it ... Enjoy it ... Get out your pen and keep a sketchbook handy.



Ashley Ericksmoen is a designer, maker and educator in Oakland, California....

A good place to start ... 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'

A collection of my 'for pleasure' drawings I put together earlier this year

The post idea/visualization process


The completed project ... Railing Project

Coffee table with 'secret' compartments ... (unbuilt)

Detail exploration ... The Lutyens Style Desk

Early potential trestle designs for The Claro Walnut Slab Desk ...

Sunrise/Sunset


Sketch over photo ... The Tansu Style Stairs
Concept for pizza oven removable/reusable arched roof form

Cockatoo Table early concept sketches

Recycled Chestnut 'Tub Table'



A John Cedarquist piece in a client's home ... How could this not have started from a drawing??? Get your pen .... Have at it ... More on this subject to follow ...

a burst of activity

hmmmm .. busy time here in the designing and pricing and proposing department.  plus it's spring, which always cuts into the free time i usually have available for blogging.  this post will be more or less a continuation of one from the end of last month, where again, i didn't take the time to write in depth about specific projects.  i think, maybe too, the 'writing' is taking sort of a backseat to the enjoyment of 'living', for the moment at least.  getting out for five rounds of golf in april is pretty good for me. 

here's a quick april 'projects in the works' lineup, and some hints of what's to come in may ... click the photos to enlarge them ..

a claro walnut coffee table from the offcut of a previous dining table ... we keep 'em, and sometimes we get lucky, and someone needs one exactly the right size ...

this one's heading to chicago this week.  'industrial look' welded steel base by sam.

speaking of sam, the metal shop is humming, and he's cranking it out.  these are parts for some large turnbuckles that will hold a building together, where the second floor floor was removed.  there are four of them total ..

 that's 1" solid round stock bent into those graceful hooks .. turnbuckles from peak supply ...

and he fabricated and installed some new custom railing projects ...

i think this one was installed a couple of weeks ago ...

and these unusual objects will support wooden poles which a local message artist will hold on to while she walks on your back ... sounds interesting, but i haven't tried it yet ... a niche market for sure.

and next up we have the new design department.  this'll be a new kitchen, hopefully by this time next month ...

i finished the shop drawings using some uninterrupted time this weekend ... during the week, i often work from one interruption to the next, and drawings like these just don't flow for me unless i can concentrate.

and after a few sketches and cad iterations of this wall, we have a confirmed design for a long bedroom wall ... coming up in june sometime ...

another claro walnut coffee table ... waiting for it's base that will hopefully happen this week.  the 'ant attack' area is fascinating ..

and the pine sideboard is finished and gone, and now in its new home in stowe, vt ...

here we have another upcoming project that took some time to design and figure out.  it will be a credenza in a north carolina law office, along with the 'ant attack' table above.

 using claro slab cutoffs, we'll cut the short cut offs into veneers, and lay up the door and drawer face panels like a puzzle.  it will have a welded and polished steel base by sam.  i am looking forward to seeing this one get umderway.  it should be a fun one.

and this one, will whipped up week before last.  it's finished now, and i hope we can deliver and set it up in the client's home early this week.  shaker influenced design, simple detailing,

and will is currently, along with a couple of new banjos, working on this slightly smaller version of a lutyens style desk he built back in 2009.  luckily, in a couple of blog posts, we documented the process as we figured out the first time so he's got a little leg up on this one.  also, four additional years of practice doesn't hurt either ...

 

march, 2009 .. +/- 26 x 72

the new onw was starting to take shape by last friday ... still a long way to go though .. lots of detail.

and trevor whipped up this little 'rustic' coffee table last week.  it may not look so rustic in this photo, but now the base is distressed and pickled, the top has its breadboards, and the culry maple top will be distressed, stained and finished later this week.

and jim and sam made a couple of reclaimed oak tables in the 'bethlehem steel' style .. burned, and lightly distressed reclaimed white oak from west virginia ...

and, actually one of the larger projects we wrapped up this month has been ongoing since last september.  it will start to take shape, hopefully, by early july ... we have one more approval to go, and sam's new metal shop will start happening.  it's been a long slog, with lots of challenging permit related details, but i think we have cleared almost the final hurdle. we have received the loan commitment, and the last detail, which i will not mention for fear of jinxing it, will be approved by the 15th of may ... and then, my 'free' time will be gone.   'life is uncertain, golf now.'

ok, work on your pottery too