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A mark of true craftsmanship, bandings are much more than just decoration. Stop for a moment and take a good look at a piece of furniture that you admire—say, a card table from the Federal era. [...]

Use moulding, carving and other details to add visual layers. Have you ever gazed at a great painting and, for a brief moment, found yourself pulled into it? Almost like magic, a few well-crafted [...]

When done carefully, mixing wood species in a single project piece can be beautiful. When I first started woodworking I loved mixing different woods together. The more contrast – and the starker [...]

Unlock your creativity with this humble tool. How comfortable would you be giving up your tape measure? If that puts you in a cold sweat, I can relate. Time was when I worked only from prints, [...]

You might drive by one every day, tucked away from the main road. I drove right by it for years, never suspecting there was a time capsule of American furniture right under my nose. The Spring [...]

Awaken your inner design sense with just a little practice. Talk about design often leads back to the idea of developing a good eye. For a long time I wrestled with this; it seemed a bit like [...]

The Windsor form survives trial by fire. The blaze started sometime after midnight. A weak spot in the chimney broke and glowing embers spilled out onto dry timbers. By the time the fire crew [...]

Good, better or best? Small details and design decisions make a difference. It’s every manufacturer’s dream to have “one size fit all.” Yet imagine a trip to the shoe store and upon arriving, you [...]

The design journey isn't a straight line. However, there are some concrete steps you can take to achieving a great design.

Proportion and structure outweigh ornament and showy materials. Have you ever found such a stunning piece of wood that you were almost afraid to cut into it? You know the boards I’m talking [...]

Classic design elements combine to create a new design. Seven years ago I made my first piece of Greene & Greene-style furniture, a coffee table of my own design. It contained several [...]

Small changes can make a big design difference – and help train your eye. How do you dial in the proportions on a furniture design? I used to pose that question a lot. Perhaps what makes this [...]