Biorgraphy: 

I indulge in what I have termed, “Self-Defense Woodworking.” It has nothing to do with the martial arts, but everything to do with maintaining the quality of personal living space. As a practicing geographer, I am concerned with spatial relationships, and to that end I am modifying my (and my spouse’s) personal spaces to reflect our own aesthetic. I do it in defense of high costs and indifferent workmanship available in today’s marketplace. It is also done to please my wife and manifest her creativity. We live in a small space, so built-ins and space savers are an accepted fact of life.

A builder builds square, plumb and true. An artist employs sweeping curves and more natural shapes. It is my continuing challenge to transition from completely rectilinear to curvy, as wood artists would. Most of the work shown is architectural in its scope, built to fit in the existing house cube. As the house work nears completion, I expect to indulge in more challenging free-standing pieces with plenty of curves.

 

Pictures:

spiral staircase, white oak devised to use least space to get from main floor to study area

 

approach to spiral stairs includes drawers under stair and a bottom step that pivots out of the way

 

A dining room window seat helps disguise an HVAC vent and provides additional storage

 

 

Built-in to hide utility chase

 

kitchen pantry with spice cabinet behind ‘message center’

 

microwave cabinet with small-item drawers

 

 

A salvaged stained glass window was employed in this trapezoidal cabinet. The diagonal parallels the proposed range hood location.

 

The dish rack hangs under the cabinet over the dish washer, making it convenient to unload the dishwasher. The beveled mirror behind is another salvage piece courtesy of the Alligator Man, Oran Moore.

 

 

Custom cuts in slide out drawers hold decorator baskets which lift out for easy transport.

 

The cabinets are now complete except for the crown molding.

Long ago, in her infinite wisdom, my wife suggested I get the power tools out of what was then the living room and build a garage for them and her car. It took a while for her car to find room in the garage, but here is where both happily coexist, though planning long boards works much better when the car is out.

 

 

shop clutter and dust collector