The Aspen Furniture Design Story

The inspiration for an item of furniture can be a beautiful piece of jewelry, an architectural shape, a fantastic wood veneer, an old or new finish or finish technique, or even Nature Herself. It’s almost as if the inspiration forms a desire to express itself in the design.

The Aspen Collection was born when two finishes, a rustic Oak and a Chestnut Burl, were placed side by side.

Pencil was put to paper and sketches were made. A sideboard was sketched, a dining table was needed, and a mock-up was created, then other pieces followed, and the Aspen Dining Group came to life.

A bedroom group quickly followed.

From sketches, drawings were made, checked, modified and checked again.

Pallets of veneers were reviewed, and the final choices were carefully selected. The beauty of nature was revealed from the heart of the tree, the shapes, the richness of color, the flip of light within the veneer, the depth of the grain, all of these came together in a glorious symphony for the eyes to behold and just waiting to be shown on the right piece of furniture.

Finish panels were developed; color and sheen were adjusted and adjusted again until the perfect hue and look were achieved.

Most furnishings require hardware. Hardware is the jewelry that adorns the piece and adds to the completed picture. Sometimes hardware itself was the inspiration for the piece. The hardware design process follows the same process as the furniture design itself. The aesthetics and the final finish of the hardware is designed to add both functionality and enhance the final presentation.

The selected veneers have arrived at the factory. The final drawings and finish panels have been approved. The veneers are now inspected and ‘laid up’. The specialists match the veneer to the furniture to give the perfect combination for the type of layout specified in the design – book-match, across the top, waterfall over the edge – among the many variations that have been chosen. Intricate handiwork cuts and tapes the veneers in a precise pattern.

Finally the constructed carcass and the veneers are brought together, moisture levels are tested and then they are pressed.

Is the design process now complete? No! How does this new piece of furniture greet the eye? Are the ratios of width, height, and depth harmonious? Is there a detail that is required? Is the construction perfect? Changes can still be made, and drawings revised.

The sideboard now sits on the factory floor and after careful review, is moved to finishing. The finishing products have all been carefully selected and approved. One more review of the finished piece and then the hardware is installed.