Guest contributor Randy Maxey explains why finding a special piece of furniture can be difficult in a typical furniture store and how using CustomMade.com can help you find what you’re looking for.

“If you’ve spent a lot of time looking for that special piece of furniture or accessory, chances are you’ve walked away disappointed and empty-handed. Furniture stores usually stock the most popular items with a hefty markup. This means that most of these items are factory-made, often with little consideration for quality. The lack of variety and quality in a typical furniture store works against you when you’re searching for that special piece.

City Shaker Hall Table

Let’s take the example of a couple looking for a special table for their entryway or foyer.  At the stores, their choices are fairly limited. But at CustomMade.com, they can browse the galleries of fine craftsman from the comfort of their own home.  For example, at CustomMade.com, they can enter the words, “hall table,” in the search box at the top of the screen.  They’ll get a gallery of photos from dozens of craftsmen, like the Shaker table shown here from Accolade Furniture.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? A number of craftsmen at CustomMade.com will be happy to work with you to design something special that suits your tastes and space.  Now, I’m not going to kid you: you may pay more than you would for a factory-made table, but the design will be yours and will last for generations. What more could you ask for?”

For more examples of Shaker style furniture by our artisans, or to search for a Shaker hall table, browse CustomMade’s galleries.

Every Thursday, interior designer Sally Henninger shares her thoughts on design, furniture and the custom made world.

Like many passions, my love of interior design began at an early age.  After receiving a dollhouse from an older cousin, I remember the excitement of being able to pick the furnishings and have something of my own that I could design from the ground up.  Months later I had wallpapered, electrified, and spent weekends scouring for miniature custom made furniture. Even my father got involved, making me some artwork using a Sotheby’s catalog and some balsa wood which he had gilded.  While most kids were out riding bikes, I was thrilled to find a miniature mahogany highboy with brass hardware.

Besides decorating my dollhouse on weekends, I also took to rearranging my mother’s house when she would leave to do errands.  I would enlist the help of my older brother and we would move antiques up from the basement and I would spend hours rearranging my room as if I were getting ready for a House Beautiful photo shoot.

I eventually grew up and became a real designer but never forgot those early lessons – nothing compares to custom made.  Unlike something you find in a catalog, when you have something custom you have something unique, something that fits perfectly into your space.

On one of my latest projects I wanted the lightest shade of blue with a grayish hint to it.  Not one paint company had exactly what I wanted so I knew I would need to do the mixing myself.  A touch of cream paint, a touch of blue and so on, and after a few hours I had the perfect color.  Everyone that saw the room wanted to know where to get the color, but it was a one of a kind!

Louis Chairs - J Rivers Furniture & Millwork

For those of us decorating full-size homes, we should always think custom.  You can have something made for any purpose, in any configuration, in any style.  I am loving these Louis XVI chairs by J Rivers Furniture & Millwork….

More updated and not too uptight and formal like some Louis furniture can be.  How amazing would they be in a living room or flanking a buffet in a dining room?!  Beautiful.

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About Sally Henninger

Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Sally learned to cultivate her design aesthetic at an early age.  After attending Boston University and holding numerous design internships, she ventured out on her own in 2007.  Her style is sophisticated classics with an updated sensibility.  Her taste lends itself to classic interiors that are timeless and suited to her clients’ needs.

Congratulations to Bryce Van Dyke, winner of the 2010 CustomMade.com Design Challenge!

Orca Coffee Table by Bryce Van Dyke

His Orca Coffee Table is amazing and he has won the opportunity to work with one of our woodworkers to have it custom made for him using Rockler tools and supplies.

Thank you to all of our entrants – the designs were incredible and showed the beauty and versatility of custom made woodwork.

Arts and Crafts Child's Crib by Jason Ekstrom

One entrant in particular stood out: The Honorable Mention goes to Jason Ekstrom for his Arts and Crafts Child’s Crib.  Beautiful work, Jason!

Want to make sure you’re the first to hear about the next Design Challenge and other news from CustomMade.com?

“When people hear the word exotic they first think expensive, but that is not always the case.  There are some that are absolutely gorgeous and reasonably priced.” Guest contributor Michael Huber of Chesapeake Cabinet and Woodworks strives to introduce customers to the variety and beauty of exotic woods.

Bubinga

“When I sit down with a potential client my first question is: have you thought of what type of wood you want to center the project around? I usually hear cherry, oak, or maybe maple.  These are the three most commonly known woods.  At that point I’ll suggest: how about some woods like bubinga, zebrano, shedua, or maybe sapele? I want to let them know we can build a very unique piece with some incredible wood.  Africa is home to these woods, some of the most beautiful in the world.

Zebrano

Deciding on the wood may take some time and effort.  At this point in my career I have pretty much every exotic sample imaginable, but if necessary I will make samples of the finished wood so the client can see what the wood truly looks like once a clear coat is applied. Once a customer decides on the wood, then the project begins to take shape.

Sapele

In dealing with exotics each wood requires a different expertise.  To make furniture from these woods you need to know how they machine and what glues and finishes are compatible.  My advice to anyone getting custom woodworking done is to make sure the woodworkers really know their wood.  You can judge their expertise by having them describe the impact different types of woods would have on both the look and construction of the project and then recommend a type of wood for the project.”

Browse CustomMade’s galleries to see works in Bubinga, Zebrano, Shedua, and Sapele

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, are in their 3rd week.  Just a few days of hair-raising moments and inspiring feats by athletes from around the world remain.  Despite the early tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, the games have been well watched and received by the world.

As I write today, the United States is ahead in the medal standings, with Germany close behind.  So far, 26 countries have won medals, with plenty of action still to come.

At the risk of sounding obvious, it occurred to me that the athletes, from all corners of the globe, have many items custom made for them.

Figure skaters have their dresses custom made.  Skiers have skis custom made.  Bobsledders have their sleds and suits custom made.  The medals the athletes compete for are also custom made.  Here is a really cool video and website showing how the medals were created.  You can see the care the artisans took to create something truly special.

World-class athletes using custom items and competing for something completely custom!

That is something we can understand.

-Mike

We asked subscriber Darrell Peart of Darrell Peart Furnituremaker to write about how he executes the features of Greene & Greene style.  Mr. Peart delves into the details and reveals the importance of order, hierarchy, and time in the Greene & Greene style:

Designing and working in the style of Greene & Greene is all about the details. This is something I confirmed on my first visit to the Gamble House about ten years ago.  Countless details await discovery at every turn: so much so that a single visit cannot possibly take it all in.  Greene & Greene is something that needs to be experienced over time. I have since visited the Gamble House on numerous occasions and have even had the good fortune to spend extended hours there shooting photos for my book and filming a video for Fine Woodworking Magazine.  You would think I had seen it all, but I have yet to pay a visit and not discover something new.  This has greatly affected the way I approach the design of my own furniture, which is heavily influenced by Greene & Greene among others.

Though a piece’s overall production and balance, two basic elements of design, form the basis of our first impression, for the piece to excel it must continue to reveal more subtle details long after the initial encounter.  Much thought and a good deal of artistic vision are required to employ these secondary features.  Merely placing them about the piece without reference is a sure recipe for creative anarchy.  The context in which the detail is to be placed must be given careful consideration. Also of prime importance is a detail’s position within the hierarchy of the overall design.  Each detail must serve in support of the piece as a whole and not shout for attention above its rank.

Figure 1

Let me first draw upon my version of the Gamble House dining table (Figure 1) as an example of how I endeavor to implement the details of a design.  With this piece, as I most often do, I took a few artistic liberties.  I stayed true to what I saw as the design’s overall vision but I allowed my intuition to have the final say.  On the first impression the table’s tsuba (Japanese sword guard) shaped top stands out prominently. As the design sinks in the next thing to catch our attention is the slightly raised solid edging that wraps around the top.  A wonderful little discovery awaits the eye at the point where the edging changes width at a crucial bend in the sinuous end curve (Figure 2).

Figure 2

At this juncture two of the solid edging segments are joined.  The top face of this joint is pinned with a pleasing arrangement of four proud ebony plugs.  Along the side of the joint runs a sensuously smooth proud ebony spline.  They each in their own way pay homage to the more prominent detail that came before them. They do not outshine the previous detail but may at times push the limits in that regard.

Thought must also be given to what effect a particular detail has upon the design.  That is, what is the context in which the detail must contribute, and what is it exactly that the detail is supposed to do?

Greene & Greene’s Blacker house “leg indent” feature is frequently (to my eye) misused.  I see this detail as a device to visually anchor the design to the floor (Figure 3). The idea behind this detail is nothing new.  The classic “claw and ball” feature serves a very similar purpose.

Figure 3

Figure 4

The indent detail is most effective on legs that are not heavy enough themselves to contain an abundance of mass.  Rather the legs act as a conduit in which weight is transferred from the piece’s mass to the indent detail below (Figure 4).  Looking closely at the indent it appears to push down and transfer the incoming weight of the piece to the point just below the deepest part of the cut-out. That bottom portion of the leg (below the indent) is thus receiving the entire weight of the piece.  With the visual weight directed to this bottom-most point there must be a sufficient amount of mass to receive it.  The slight round-over/taper below the supporting mass serves to visually contain the weight and not disperse it to the floor.  It is out of context to use this detail on a large massive leg, and eliminating the bulk just below the deepest part of the cut-out leaves the visual weight without a place to reside.

A good design, whether it is Greene & Greene or something altogether different, should not reveal all its subtleties upon first encounter.  Details should be placed with careful thought and an understanding of the design at hand.  Even the smallest of details must serve a purpose that enhances the overall design. In a really good design there is nothing superfluous.

Cast your vote now for the best original design in the 2010 CustomMade Design Challenge!

We asked you to design a piece of furniture that you’d like to have custom made by one of our woodworkers and you sent us some amazing entries.  In fact, so many great designs came in that we decided to let the public vote on all of them!

See all of the entries here: http://blog.custommade.com/category/design-challenge-photos/ Click on the photos to see more information about the designs and the designers.

Voting ends March 2, 2010.  The winner will be announced by Friday, March 5, 2010 and will be able to work with one of our artisans to have his or her piece custom made using Rockler tools and supplies.

Official Rules and Regulations

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is the official sponsor of the 2010 CustomMade.com Design Challenge. Celebrating its 55th anniversary as a family-run business, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is the nation’s premier supplier of specialty hardware, tools, lumber and high-quality woodworking products.

When my partner Seth and I tell people about the company we are building, they often say, “Custom woodworking – that’s an odd business for two guys from Boston…are you guys woodworkers?” Our answer is, of course, no.  We are website marketing guys.

So why are we involved in a company that is the online source for anything custom? The answer is we both LOVE custom stuff.  We are buyers of custom furniture, custom suits, custom jewelry, and other custom items.  If I could have everything in my life custom made, I would be a much happier consumer.

Why do I love custom? Well, for one, there is a value proposition to custom.  I’ve found that you can get much better quality for your money.  In addition, when you buy custom you’re buying a service, not a product.  You buy something made by someone with whom you can build a relationship, whether that someone is an individual or a company.

Mike Salguero, President of CustomMade.com

In terms of woodworking, the value of buying something custom rather than a product made in a factory overseas is apparent in the end result.  Many of our woodworkers can make you a piece that will last a lifetime, not just a few years or until you move to another home.

Here is a photo of me in my favorite custom item: a leather and sheep’s wool jacket that I had made while I was visiting my father in Montevideo, Uruguay.  I talked to the maker of this jacket, gave him my specifications, and purchased exactly what I was looking for!

I bet you have stories about things you’ve had custom made – isn’t sharing them part of the fun? You can do that here – it could be furniture, of course, but anything custom is fair game – clothing, jewelry, shoes, drapes, artwork – anything!  Go to the Comments section and “Leave A Reply” – upload a photo by clicking on the “add images to your comment by clicking here” link just below the “Submit Comment” button.  You can then copy and paste the URL for your photo! (NOTE: your photo must be online to be uploaded).

C’mon fellow Custom Made evangelists – share!

-Mike

Starting tomorrow, February 17, 2010, Fine Woodworking author and CustomMade.com subscriber, Tony O’Malley will be taking part in a 3-day building competition – the Buildoff.  He’ll compete with Gary Striegler at Fine Homebuilding to make a mudroom built-in.  (Apartment Therapy readers might remember Tony from the post on his amazing Home Library with Window Seat.  Wow.)

You can join them for a live video chat from the set tomorrow.  Check out more information about the Buildoff here: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/11021/a-countdown-to-the-big-buildoff

P.S. Make sure you check out Tony’s post on custom cabinetry for your flat-screen TV – he’s got some great ideas!

What is the relationship of the artisan to nature? What is the artisan’s responsibility to nature? Guest blogger John P. Rose of Custom Furniture Creations discusses the philosophy that guides his craft:

Figured 3-D Cherry

The main philosophy of Custom Furniture Creations is to create unique furniture that blends the beauty of nature with hand-craftsmanship.  As a result, we have developed a special fondness for allowing nature to show itself in all of its grandeur.

Walnut with Sap Wood

Trees are a renewable resource that nature has given us to clean our air, anchor our soils, provide food and shelter for forest animals, and in its final stage to provide us with wood to build our homes and furniture.  However, some trees are special; something in their growth has made them uniquely pleasing to our eyes.  It becomes the responsibility of a skilled artisan to allow nature to “show us its stuff.”

Factories that produce furniture reject non-standard wood as scrap to create thousands of identical tables or dressers.  Only a skilled artisan has the love of nature and the ability to coach the grandeur and uniqueness out of wood, much like a sports coach or a mentor strives to bring out the potential within a person.

3-D Walnut and Cherry

The artisan merely becomes the facilitator for the wood, selecting special grains, colors, and textures from the wood that will complement the design of the furniture and leave a pleasing impression upon the human eye.  The result is often a work of art much more valuable than the sum of the labor and materials that went into the carefully sculpted wood creation.  Would anyone deny that the value of a Picasso is much greater than the cost of the paints and the labor that went into it?

Contrasting Woods

About Custom Furniture Creations

John P. Rose of Custom Furniture Creations in Ohio responsibly harvests, saws, and dries his own wood, which goes into the very special works of art that nature has provided for us. http://www.customfurniturecreations.com/