three-drawer case on stand

16 3/4''D 22 1/4''W 37''H

European Beech and Sugar Pine

Satin water-based lacquer finish

This chest of drawers is my May 2010 work . Its petite size and accessible height suggest a multitude of minimalist storage solutions . The client for whom this piece was designed and made will be using it as a nightstand , but the form of the piece could easily be repurposed to a full chest of drawers , lingerie chest , media cabinet , sideboard , filing cabinet etc. The case features a blend of purist straight lines and subtle curves . The double-tapered legs have a soft flare and lend the piece a graceful yet solidly planted stance . The sweet-smelling Sugar Pine drawers exhibit my usual full hand-cut dovetail joinery and my signature "hole pull" drawer pulls . The drawer front "pulls" are accentuated with Beech inlays .

the depressing side of woodworking

A couple of months ago I got a call from a person interested in a small media cabinet . Great . The clients were a referral from a past customer , and they had even gone to the trouble of scouting my gallery . Really great ; obviously they know my stuff and like what I do . The potential client gave me a rundown of what they were looking for and we setup a meeting . When I arrived for the on site meeting my excitement shriveled . Their existing furnishings were very dull and very 80's . Bad sign . I thought 'oh please don't ask me to duplicate this stuff' . Thankfully they were totally open to professional suggestion on the design as long as I could simulate the existing finishes . I wasn't ideal from the standpoint of making true heirloom furniture , but a gig is a gig and woodworking is woodworking , so I didn't raise any objections to doing the piece .

Next came the money talk . The client had mentioned a factory cabinet that they liked but were unimpressed with the quality that cost $ 1200 . I read the room (an unmentionable but necessary survival skill in the fine craft business) and figured I could probably ask $ 1400 for my piece without being shown the door (If I'm honest $ 2200 would have been more appropriate for my skill level) . Wrong . Though my bid would have netted me less than $ 5 an hour after expenses and taxes (I do not charge design or consultation fees) the deal fell apart . And it fell apart in the worst way . As soon as I said $ 1400 the meeting immediately morphed into the client scrambling to extricate themselves from any perceived commitment . When this happens (I've seen it happen many times) their faces just change . Boom ! Meeting over . I suggested a couple cost-saving options and the usual 'we'll think about it and get back to you ' was tendered . I haven't heard from them , but I am hearing from more and more people like them as folks further remove themselves from non-third-world craft . -The question still lingers in my mind , how could they expect me to deliver a fine cabinet for less than the price of a factory piece ?

2010 Nightstand

23''W 17 1/2''D 24''H

English Walnut with Sugar Pine drawer

Tried & True linseed oil/beeswax finish

This piece is the revised version of my 'Book Table' . The 2010 edition features a frame and panel top , the addition of a book shelf , and a larger more cleanly integrated drawer . The curved drawer front springs to the hand and bonds the dominant angular lines of the piece . The drawer is fashioned in pine specifically for its pleasant warm resonance .

furniture and light

When did good furniture loose its edge ? Let's blame the advent of electric light . Furniture is practically and philosophically different if it is designed , made , and used in organic light . Natural raking daylight pops wood figure and color while candle or lamplight not only affects the appearance of woodwork , softening marks of merciless wear and deepening shadow lines , but also the feel of furniture . Firelight lends woodwork an indescribable warmth and tactile magnetism . By contrast , over-lit rooms erase all shadow lines , washout subtle wood tones , and highlight the tinniest scratches . Traditional woodworkers knew the conditions they were designing for and the contextual excellence of their work is obvious . Natural light complemented and emphasized their lines , and the natural wood colors and organic finishes available to them . Likewise , contemporary design is a function of contemporary conditions . Blinding Technicolor wattage forces us (woodworkers) to simultaneously contrive visual interest and hide distractions . Elaborate lines , figured woods , exotic woods , flashy joinery , dyes , and synthetic scratch resistant finishes are all common elements of modern plastic fine woodworking . Obviously furniture design evolves for many reasons and I believe light is a key , if overlooked , element .

Artist's Stool

11''D 11 1/2''W 24''H

European Beech with Walnut wedge joinery accents

Tried & True varnish/oil finish

I first modelled this stool in June of 2007 . It is the first piece I designed that I include in my current line of work . I think this piece is the sum of my creative style . There is just a singularity in the way this stool builds and performs . It's such a simple piece , but it expresses as much as a piece of furniture can communicate about the purpose of woodworking .

Gallery S

Gallery S formerly located in Oakhurst , CA Hwy. 41/Rd. 426

559-760-7616 furniturebyseth@gmail.com

furniturebyseth | the basics

the seth difference ~ My furniture making is simply a thoughtful and honest composition of spare form and unsparing craftsmanship . My objective is to create beautiful , long-wearing , and "ownable" fine woodworking through austere lines and innovative joinery . Though my first design thoughts are of quality , aesthetics , and creative satisfaction , my work is also mindful of turn-around , price , and shipping .

my materials ~ Furniture made to serve and please generations begins with very good wood . As a native of lumber-rich California , I am able to responsibly source a wide pallet of materials with varied workability , color , and texture . Though I work with many different wood species , I have found California Walnuts , Sugar Pine , Red Alder , and European Beech to be exceptionally responsive to my concept of furniture making .

finishes ~ In my shop finish is an ingredient in the furniture , not just a coating on the furniture . I practice finishing as a process of conditioning and fortifying wood , celebrating its lovely anti-plastic color and texture . My staple finishes are : California Walnut oil (blended with warmed California beeswax and applied by hand) Tried & True varnish/oil (applied by hand and topped with wax) and hi-tech water-based polyurethane (often applied over a coat of tone-warming oil ) .