Design Ideas? - Found a Book

"charlie b" wrote in message

> Pays to check the Sales Table at Barnes and Noble.

Yerright ... at B&N last weekend I picked up "American Oak Furniture" in the
"Bargain Book" section. 390+ pages, 1300 photographs of all styles of oak
furniture and tons of design ideas. $5.99, list $27.95.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

One of my books I enjoy very much is not primarily about
woodworking. It's a Better Homes and Garden book, "Painted crafts".

It does have some pictures of come nice pieces, and some just
every-day pieces. No plans. It focuses on the finish of the pieces,
and tells how to reproduce many. One is a nicely made little box, but
the big thing about it is the faux finish that makes vry plain wood look
like very nicely figured wood. And, it shows how you can do similar
type finishes.

It's got one or two examples of distressed pieces. My feelings
are, if you're gonna make a nice piece, then make it look good. If you
want old looking pieces, then buy old stuff.

Then it's got some examples of stuff that looks like it's just old
furniture, picked up a a junk store, and painted by first graders.
Including some that looks like it was painted by first graders on LSD.
It would really disturbe me to be around stuff like that for long.
Don't by an "artiste", not an artist. But, sadly, selling for some
healthy bucks.

And, finally, it shows some stuff "done" by some guy, who says:
"My furniture concepts are very close to the original influences of true
folk art: they put a strong emphasis on the beauty and design of
ulitarian objects.". Horse crap. One picture shows an old chair, and a
scrap wood stool, painted a couple of different colors. Another picture
shows a picture of a flip-top chair-table, quite crudely made, of low
quality looking wood, and painted with a couple of different colors.
Says he buys unfinished furniture from local artists. Unfinished is
right. The top is round, but apparently no attempt was made to finish
the edges smooth, or even - you see better work on a cable spool -
cracks, nicks, gouges, very visible. Top all that off with a couple of
colors of what looks like the cheapest paint the guy could find, and
it's pretty pathetic - but, "supposedly" it's now "art" - apparently
transformed to such, just because this guy slaps a coat or two of cheap
paint on it. What's even more pathetic, apparently the stuff is
selling, and for a healthy price. Sad. I might do something with work
of that quality as a prototype, to see if a procedure would work, or
what it would look like made; but then I'd either use it in the shop,
salvage the materials, or give it away. I'd be ashamed to offer
something like that for sale.

But, overall, it's a really nice book, with some really excellent
examples of painted designs. Furniture, chests, walls, gameboards.
Some really beautiful stuff. And, designs and instructions for a lot of
it. I got my copy, in as new condition, at my favorite used bookstore.
You might want to see if you can borrow a copy from your local library,
to check it out. Or, you might well be able to get a cop on the web
somewhere.



JOAT
Have a nice day!
Someplace else.

charlie b wrote:
> This is a big, heavy book so it doesn't
> make for going through it in beg -
> or in "the reading room". This is a
> sit at a table - with a pad of small
> Post Its, a pencil and maybe a drawing
> pad. There are no measured drawings,
> no joinery details and seldom multiple
> views of any of the pieces in this book.
>
> But if you're looking for ideas for the
> base of a dresser or cabinet, legs for
> a table, ideas for a chair or just some
> nice lines, this book will be worth
> the list price. And if you can find it
> on the Sales Table - $24 bucks is
> practically stealing the book.


I have a few similar books -- for instance, "Furniture Treasury" by
Wallace Nutting, printed in 1963, which I picked up at a library
booksale recently for, er, a buck fifty. It doesn't have page numbers,
just photo numbers, which go up to 5000. Pretty poor photos in some
cases, but they're mostly pretty decent, and even the lousy ones are
enough to show the design and some of the details.

It (and the others I have like it) are definitely useful for getting
ideas about how to deal with design problems, like the "what do I do
with eight inches of space at the top of a china cabinet?" that someone
asked a couple of weeks ago.

The book you mention sounds particularly interesting, though, since all
the books I have just cover antiques -- and, for that matter, only cover
what was considered antique in the 1960s! -- so having some contemporary
and early-century styles would be quite useful. And I think I've got a
$25 gift card to B&N around here somewhere.... So: thanks for the
recommendation!

- Brooks


--
The "bmoses-nospam" address is valid; no unmunging needed.

Brooks Moses wrote:
.
>
> The book you mention sounds particularly interesting, though, since all
> the books I have just cover antiques -- and, for that matter, only cover
> what was considered antique in the 1960s! -- so having some contemporary
> and early-century styles would be quite useful. And I think I've got a
> $25 gift card to B&N around here somewhere.... So: thanks for the
> recommendation!

While you're at it, see if they can get the MIT Press Paolo Solari
book. In the 'late 60's or early 70's, MIT gave him an aluminum
covers sketch book. When it was full they printed it. The book is
full of sketches, with notes, of some ideas Solari put on paper -
a city built into the face of a dam (cut down on transmission of
electricity and water, stays cool in summer, warm, relatively
in winter, no need for highways, etc.) a floating city (this place
has gotten boring. Let's all go to . . .) All kinds of ideas for
jewerly, ceramics or furniture - just change the scale. There
are so many sources of inspiration - Playboy for example.
Skip the articles and interviews - study the pictures - wonder
ful lines everywhere!

charlie b

Dave Jackson wrote:
> Hey Brooks,
> It sounds like you have Wallace Nuttings "Furnitutre Treasury" vol 1
> and/or 2. The pages aren't numbered, but the furniture pictures are. If
> you get the chance, pick up vol 3. It goes into more detail about the
> photos in Vol 1 and 2. Many pictures and descriptions of legs, splats,
> carvings, etc..in volume 3 . The volumes really complement each other
> nicely. --dave

Actually, what I have is billed as "Two volumes in one", which sounds
like it's the first two. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the third;
it does sound interesting. Thanks!

- Brooks


--
The "bmoses-nospam" address is valid; no unmunging needed.

"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> If you want to get beyond Arts & Crafts /
> Stickely / Greene & Greene - and are
> searching for design ideas:
>
> Pays to check the Sales Table at Barnes and Noble.
> Picked up the coffee table book sized "Furniture
> World Styles From Classical To Contemporary"
> by Judith Miller with a foreward by David Linley
> (ISBN 0-7566-1340-X, $60 US) at 50% off
> PLUS another 10% of with my B&N card so it
> was only $24 plus tax, license, dealer prep,
> undercoating and floor mats - no that's my
> car - sorry.

Consider also getting on their e-mail list. I am on Borders e-mail list and
very often get printable coupons for 20-25% off on any book that is not on
sale.

Hey Brooks,
It sounds like you have Wallace Nuttings "Furnitutre Treasury" vol 1
and/or 2. The pages aren't numbered, but the furniture pictures are. If
you get the chance, pick up vol 3. It goes into more detail about the
photos in Vol 1 and 2. Many pictures and descriptions of legs, splats,
carvings, etc..in volume 3 . The volumes really complement each other
nicely. --dave



"Brooks Moses" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> charlie b wrote:
>> This is a big, heavy book so it doesn't
>> make for going through it in beg -
>> or in "the reading room". This is a
>> sit at a table - with a pad of small
>> Post Its, a pencil and maybe a drawing
>> pad. There are no measured drawings,
>> no joinery details and seldom multiple
>> views of any of the pieces in this book.
>>
>> But if you're looking for ideas for the
>> base of a dresser or cabinet, legs for
>> a table, ideas for a chair or just some
>> nice lines, this book will be worth
>> the list price. And if you can find it
>> on the Sales Table - $24 bucks is
>> practically stealing the book.
>
>
> I have a few similar books -- for instance, "Furniture Treasury" by
> Wallace Nutting, printed in 1963, which I picked up at a library booksale
> recently for, er, a buck fifty. It doesn't have page numbers, just photo
> numbers, which go up to 5000. Pretty poor photos in some cases, but
> they're mostly pretty decent, and even the lousy ones are enough to show
> the design and some of the details.
>
> It (and the others I have like it) are definitely useful for getting ideas
> about how to deal with design problems, like the "what do I do with eight
> inches of space at the top of a china cabinet?" that someone asked a
> couple of weeks ago.
>
> The book you mention sounds particularly interesting, though, since all
> the books I have just cover antiques -- and, for that matter, only cover
> what was considered antique in the 1960s! -- so having some contemporary
> and early-century styles would be quite useful. And I think I've got a
> $25 gift card to B&N around here somewhere.... So: thanks for the
> recommendation!
>
> - Brooks
>
>
> --
> The "bmoses-nospam" address is valid; no unmunging needed.

On Fri, 03 Feb 2006 22:24:54 GMT, "Dave Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hey Brooks,
> It sounds like you have Wallace Nuttings "Furnitutre Treasury" vol 1
>and/or 2. The pages aren't numbered, but the furniture pictures are. If
>you get the chance, pick up vol 3. It goes into more detail about the
>photos in Vol 1 and 2. Many pictures and descriptions of legs, splats,
>carvings, etc..in volume 3 . The volumes really complement each other
>nicely. --dave
>
>

Another good guide, not quite so heavy on pictures is, "The Woodworker's
Guide to Furniture Design" by Garth Graves. It touches on many styles,
placing them in their historical context. It also directly applies various
design fundamentals to furniture design, including ergonomics, fitting
within the environment the piece is to be placed, etc.



Krenov's book list had a good one that dealt more with design and
creativity, something along the lines of "Fundamentals of Style"


>
>"Brooks Moses" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> charlie b wrote:
>>> This is a big, heavy book so it doesn't
>>> make for going through it in beg -
>>> or in "the reading room". This is a
>>> sit at a table - with a pad of small
>>> Post Its, a pencil and maybe a drawing
>>> pad. There are no measured drawings,
>>> no joinery details and seldom multiple
>>> views of any of the pieces in this book.
>>>
>>> But if you're looking for ideas for the
>>> base of a dresser or cabinet, legs for
>>> a table, ideas for a chair or just some
>>> nice lines, this book will be worth
>>> the list price. And if you can find it
>>> on the Sales Table - $24 bucks is
>>> practically stealing the book.
>>
>>
>> I have a few similar books -- for instance, "Furniture Treasury" by
>> Wallace Nutting, printed in 1963, which I picked up at a library booksale
>> recently for, er, a buck fifty. It doesn't have page numbers, just photo
>> numbers, which go up to 5000. Pretty poor photos in some cases, but
>> they're mostly pretty decent, and even the lousy ones are enough to show
>> the design and some of the details.
>>
>> It (and the others I have like it) are definitely useful for getting ideas
>> about how to deal with design problems, like the "what do I do with eight
>> inches of space at the top of a china cabinet?" that someone asked a
>> couple of weeks ago.
>>
>> The book you mention sounds particularly interesting, though, since all
>> the books I have just cover antiques -- and, for that matter, only cover
>> what was considered antique in the 1960s! -- so having some contemporary
>> and early-century styles would be quite useful. And I think I've got a
>> $25 gift card to B&N around here somewhere.... So: thanks for the
>> recommendation!
>>
>> - Brooks
>>
>>
>> --
>> The "bmoses-nospam" address is valid; no unmunging needed.
>


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Just ordered it from Amazon looks great thanks charlie


On Fri, 03 Feb 2006 08:19:56 -0000, charlie b <[email protected]>
wrote:

> If you want to get beyond Arts & Crafts /
> Stickely / Greene & Greene - and are
> searching for design ideas:
>
> Pays to check the Sales Table at Barnes and Noble.
> Picked up the coffee table book sized "Furniture
> World Styles From Classical To Contemporary"
> by Judith Miller with a foreward by David Linley
> (ISBN 0-7566-1340-X, $60 US) at 50% off