Cabinetry

There are many areas to work in as a furniture maker, but probably the one that has evolved most effortlessly for Jonathan has been his work in fine woodworking cabinetry designs. It is, more than in any other area of his work, the design of the cabinetry that seems to bring out the best in Jonathan’s work.

Shown in black walnut w/ ebony handles;

72″ x 19″ x 38″.

The wane edge refers to the name given to the natural edge of a piece of wood as it comes from the tree. It should not be touched by any machine or tool, just polished and left inviolate. The third drawer in this piece was made wider than the others to reflect a widening in the top just above the drawer. This is a perfect example of why it is sometimes difficult to be too precise on measurements and costs until the actual timbers have been found. It is, of course, hand-dovetailed.

36″ x 10″ x 78″.

Shown in black walnut, ebony, bronze and laminate;

Wall hung.

36″ (wall-mounted) x 26″ x 72″.

Drawer fronts and cabinet sides were carved to undulate wave-like surfaces, the drawers more deeply to provide hand pulls. The top “wing” was carefully laminated to include a slight upward twist at the tip to give more resistance and support to a heavy sculpture to be placed there.

Homage to Georgia O’Keefe.

Shown in spalted maple, hardrock maple and ebony;

78″ x 21″ x 66″.

Named for Georgia O’Keefe for the dry desert-like images seen in the spalted door panels. One of about a dozen new designs made for a one-man show called “One Tree”. All the pieces in the show are inspired by and built from one rare, amazing bigleaf maple tree brought down by disease, (the inimitable spalting). The show sold out, but there are still a few, very few, pieces of this unbelievable wood in the studio.

Shown in quilted maple w/ wenge inlay;

32″ x 21″ x 72″

The Rikki has softly bowing drawers and side panels as well. Handles are hand-carved ebony. A very gentle, sensuous piece to grace a bedroom. Works extremely well in darker woods.

Shown in Macassar ebony, quilted maple, silk, gold;

96″ x 24″ x 78″.

The Kimono Cabinet was commissioned by a client, the wife asking me to surprise her husband on an important birthday. The request was “pull out all the stops”. I did. The Kimono Cabinet has six secret compartments, each with a separate sequence of movements before the compartment can be found or opened. The doors are opened by engaging a hidden magnetic field which releases locking pins. When a door is opened, another magnetic field is broken, and after a 1.5 second delay, lights in the cabinet slowly ramp up to illuminate the interior. All the curved forms in the Kimono Cabinet are bent, tapered laminations. The drawers are all hand-cut dovetails on curved, sequenced fronts. All hardware was handmade. Certainly the most difficult, time-consuming and spectacular piece I have been asked to make.

Shown in bubinga with ebony handles:

26″ x 18″ x 42″.

Usually contains drawers handfitted for silverware, lined with silverware cloth. Can be fitted for any use. Curved members, bent laminated; drawers hand dovetailed.