Tansu Chest in Cherry

By Pete Novick 

Hayama Cabinetmakers, LLC

Here is a tansu chest I plan to show as part of the Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers exhibit at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, VT beginning in January 2013. It is made from cherry and is 53(H) x 37(W) x 19(D). 

 

In furniture design, I try to follow three ideas: form follows function, the golden section and visual line.

Form follows function is usually associated with early 20^th century architecture, though practically speaking it’s a useful rule for furniture construction, too. 

The golden section ratio is well known, and for me it represents the most natural and most human ratio in the universe. How could I improve on it?    

 

If you rotate the golden section shown above 90 degrees clockwise, you will see the basic overall proportion and sectional division of this tansu.  

Finally, I strive for a visual line so that the piece of furniture has composition and the eye moves naturally around the piece without settling anywhere in particular. For panels, I use very wide boards and no more than 2 boards in width per panel. Also, I use wood from the same boards in the panels in both the upper and lower sections. Since the tree grew that way I figure I should use it. 

Last, I try to make the back of my case pieces visually interesting. 

It usually takes me a little more than two weeks to design, build and finish a large tansu. In this tansu, there are 116 mortise and tenon joints to cut and fit. Then I hand plane all the surfaces and chamfer all the edges before assembly so the piece looks and feels handmade.