Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Berrington Hall Research Trip


 
7 courses plus with a different wine for each

We made a trip to Berrington Hall to collect research for our Design Development brief. We are charged with the task of creating work in reaction to what we saw there.

Designed in 1785, it is the quintessential Georgian country home; square, cold, and symmetrical. None of this excites me, but that's OK because it doesn't have to. The work does not necessarily have to match the style of the property, it just has to have developed somehow from something we either saw, heard, or felt during our time there. Well, that’s pretty wide open! This is just as much an exercise in sales and creative writing as design development. Hmmm.... maybe that’s what design development really is anyway. If you can convince the client that what you are making is what they want and what will satisfy the demands of their site, then you can make whatever you want I suppose.

Knowing that the aesthetic taste of the property as a whole didn't really interest me, I decided to focus on the details of the home and decor for my research.

Along the way I also got an interesting glimpse into the some of the social and economic nuances of the families that occupied the home over the years. The people who lived there were human; they had eccentricities, struggles, vices, scandals, and secrets. This sociological element provides an interesting context for looking at the space. Human nature hasn't changed at all. Back then they installed doors to nowhere and hired 47 servants, now they buy Bentleys. People are the same. That much said, it would make sense that they would decorate their country home with the most en vogue decor of the time, no matter the cost.




Apple tree in the garden.



Lilly pad in the pond


Fountain in the pond.










A bad picture but I included it because I like the sculpture.


Bad pic, but I love this table leg.





Monday, 8 August 2011

New Work - Single Malt Scotch Rack for a Private Client



This one was not my design, I just built to spec. The one piece forgings for the four columns were really fun. They are slot punched and then split to form the curved parts. Kind of looks like fire. The client told me that the middle bottle in the top row was arguably the finest single malt scotch ever made. Looked like ol' grandad to me.  





Sunday, 7 August 2011

New Work - Forged Wing Bookends


Everything was made from 2 1/4" x 1/2" flat bar. Had a lot of fun with the fullering dies on the Sahinler 110 at Artisans.

Tuesday, 21 June 2011

Sunday, 29 May 2011

More pics of table progress

The frame is done for the most part save a few tweaks here and there. I am not happy with the overall stability, so I may have to make some adjustments. She could do with some cross bracing, but it will be tricky not to upset the form in adding them. I guess making a cantilevered, three-legged, table with one connection point is harder than it looks!

 The wood top is also posing a problem because the wood has significant rot and I have to remove about half of it before I can use it. Matt and I may have gotten to it too late. This will be tricky one. I'll check back on that. No problem though, I'm not worried. It will be very sweet when its done, I am sure of it. Ahh, the power of positive thinking or some such bullshit.

Frame with the rough cut oak top on it

All the legs before bending

looks like a bird of prey




Back leg before bending
The aftermath of sanding back my drift for the 10th time. The belt sander is a cruel mistress.


Matt shows me how its done

One oak table top coming right up

Good thing I dressed accordingly.

Sorry sir, delivery isn't available in your area. You'll have to ride home 10 miles in the wind.

Just before I took off!