Some leftover oak became warped and I wondered how to use the awkward wood. An impromptu design session emerged on the back of an envelope. If I could incorporate the curve of the board, I could use more of the timber. It worked well on the convex side and I squeezed more thickness out to mirror the same profile underneath by sacrificing some width. As the form crystalized in my mind, the problems emerged. The dovetail joints must echo the curve of the boards and with no plane of reference make accurate marking a challenge. Their decorative function provides no opportunity to hide mistakes.
The tables are almost entirely hand-cut with planes, chisels and scrapers. The work was at once precise and simple. Once again, the final shapes were the product of gentle touch to find the irregularities to scrape away and create a precise curve.
Everyone needs extra seating from time to time and I’m suddenly surprised that this space-saving idea is not more common.
Andrew Fleck Furniture Design 