Design
Book Eight
Original Furniture from the World's Finest
Craftsmen
Softcover
225 x 275mm
170pp
Published by The Taunton Press, Connecticut, USA.
R.R.P.$24.90
ISBN 978-1-60085-059-2
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 146
Design Book Eight has an interesting history. It is, in fact, a re-publication of a magazine titled Fine Woodworking Furniture: 102 Contemporary Designs which appeared in 2008.
The magazine (and now the book) built on a series of books, the last being Design Book Seven which was published over a decade ago.
The new book is, however, different from those in the original series in several important ways.
One way in which it is not different, however, is in its exploration of what the editors believe to be the best and most imaginative of the work to which they gained access during the pre-publication process.
But this book, unlike its predecessors that ranged over the whole gamut of woodworking, is devoted solely to furniture.
Also the work is accompanied in each case by notes, not only on the piece itself, but, in addition, the maker. These notes often include comments by the woodworker which add to the reader’s understanding of how a piece was conceived and the problems that might have been overcome in its execution.
Eighty-one designer/makers are represented in the book, all of whom (including Australian, David Upfill Brown) appear to have been resident in the US when the work was being chosen.
The items of furniture selected by the editors are frequently stunning. They vary widely in colour and the designs range from the chunky to the delicate, yet they all have one thing in common. They are functional. The chairs are clearly intended to be sat upon; the cabinets have sufficient volume to make them useful and the desks and tables would support what they might be expected to in the environment for which they are intended.
That is not to say that all would be welcome in your home, but they are certain to provide a strong stimulus for your own design process.
Photos: Colour
Units of Measurement: Imperial
Contents
Introduction
Tables
Beds
Seating
Desks
Case Goods
Accessories
Production Furniture
An Exercise in Design
Contributor
Index
Photo credits