Counter Stool 2024

These stools are built using a traditional post and rung style of construction. The joinery takes advantage of working with fresh "green" wood and controlling the drying process. A shrinking wet mortise combines with an expanding super dry tenon to create a mechanical lock that has been shown to hold up to centuries of use in some examples. 

I source the wood for these pieces from locally harvested trees. The logs are selected with specific qualities known to produce the best and strongest chair parts. I have the logs sawn into thick slabs which gives me room to hand split components with axes and wedges, ensuring maximum control of the wood grain in each piece. All the long surfaces are finished with a spokeshave after being turned on a lathe. This sharp hand tool leaves a lightly faceted and glassy smooth surface that is a joy to touch. I hand weave the seats using authentic danish paper cord imported from Denmark. 

The black coloring on these pieces is not pigment or dye based. It is achieved through a process called ebonizing, a chemical reaction between the tannins within the wood and an iron solution. The color is bound up within the wood fibers, not sitting on top of them. It results in a very transparent finish that still shows all the complexity of the wood grain.