These chairs are reproductions of ones originally designed by Swedish furnituremaker Vidar Malmsten. They are light, strong, and comfortable, and quietly proud of their Scandanavian roots. In other words, just about everything you could ask for in a chair. A challenge to build, but (in my opinion, anyway) well worth the effort.

Dimensions: 17″ (Seat Height) x 33″ T x 18″ W x 18″ D
Materials: White Oak, Danish Cord
Finish: Wiping Varnish

Photos by David Welter, CRFW

Featured on FineWoodworking.com’s Gallery

This small-ish wall cabinet in Western Hemlock was the first piece I made while attending the College of the Redwoods’ Fine Woodworking Program. The requirements for the piece were that it be “small, solid, simple, and sweet.” It was a joy to build. The cabinet itself features resawn double-doors, three drawers, handmade hinges, and a secret compartment. (Just don’t tell anybody.)
Currently on display at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, as part of the CraftTexas 2008 exhibition.

Dimensions: 30″L x 10″H x 6″D
Materials: Western Hemlock, Native Olive, Elm, Maple, Port Orford Cedar
Finish: Shellac, Wax

Photos by David Welter

This piece is currently for sale. Please contact for details.

This pair of mahogany sconces were built to compliment the exterior of a small, Arts-and-Crafts style-bungalow. The basic layout of each sconce is based on a classic “Mission” motif, while the through-posts were influenced by a Japanese aesthetic.

Dimensions: 6″ x 6 x 10″ (each)
Materials: Mahogany, Art Glass
Finish: Wipe-On Polyurethane

This piece was built for a client who wanted a coffee table with a few nice, little details, but didn’t want to “bump into it.” The result is a table with a small overhang, curved and resawn stretchers, and a small drawer.

Dimensions: 42″ x 26″ x 16″
Materials: Cherry, Texas Ebony, Maple, Native Olive
Finish: Tung Oil, Wax

This bed was originally commissioned by good friends of mine to complement a piece I had built for them earlier. It features concealed hardware, and pegged, floating, and socketed mortise-and-tenon joinery. (Which is to say, it is built to last a very, very long time.) The idea for this piece was to make something that was calm and quiet, something to come home to after a long and stressful day.

Dimensions: 84″ x 64″ (Queen Size) x 39″
Materials: Cherry with Texas Ebony Accents, Poplar
Finish: Tung Oil, Wax

This deceptively simple-looking table is the result of a client’s request for a “5-foot conference table.” The table’s design was largely influenced by the Arts and Crafts aesthetic and traditional Chinese joinery, and seats six people comfortably.

Dimensions: 60″ Diameter x 29 1/4″
Materials: Cherry
Finish: Tung Oil, Wax

This is a small box I made for someone very special to me. My friend Alan Cable designed and made the ring at his workshop here in Houston. By all means check out his website here. Anyway, I built the box to commemorate a truly excellent day (and more importantly, she said yes.)

Dimensions: 3″ x 2″ x 2″
Materials: Macassar Ebony, African Ebony, Sterling Silver
Finish: Carnauba Wax

This is a small box I built from a 2×6 floor joist (pictured below the box) salvaged by Historic Houston, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting local historic architecture. The pine does a number on the machines, but it takes a polish well.

Dimensions: 9 1/4″ x 3″ x 2 1/4″
Materials: Reclaimed Quatersawn Longleaf Pine, Texas Ebony, Velvet Liner
Finish: Shellac, Carnauba Wax