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October 27, 2009
Sounds like a children’s book, doesn’t it? Well, the Golden Ratio, also known as the Golden Rectangle, is called an irrational mathematical constant that has baffled even the most brilliant mathematicians all the way back to the Ancient Greeks. It exists in architecture (the Parthenon, the Great Pyramids), in art (DaVinci’s studies of the human form and perhaps even the Mona Lisa), and nature (Fibonacci sequence in pine cones, flowers, and more). I won’t even attempt to explain the Golden Ratio, but I applied this formula to a furniture project that had been on my mind for a long time: a shoji screen.
What is an ancient Japanese design doing in a Vermont workshop? For a long time, I’ve been fascinated by the shoji screen, those beautiful dividers with opaque panels that let the light shine through. I like the way a shoji screen can create a “sub-space” in a room. A shoji can be a sliding door, a wall, or a folding screen. Whatever the size, the goal is to partition the space rather than close it off entirely.
With the popularity of the Serenity Collection, which has an Eastern influence, I decided it was time to put my shoji ideas on the drawing board.
It took some tweaking, resizing, and working with joinery ideas. Traditional shoji screens use rice paper because of its opacity. I wanted something more durable. I chose kojo paper, which is tissue thin, and then coated and laminated.
We displayed this new screen at a fine furniture show in Woodstock, Vermont, in September, with a great response! Whether or not you incorporate Eastern culture or Japanese accents in your decor, a shoji screen can add interest as a divider or backdrop. Or create an instant guest room! Like everything else we hand-craft here, your shoji screen will be a one-of-a-kind piece, made in your choice of wood and panel material. If you’re interested in being one of the first to have a Shoji Screen from ClearLake Furniture, send me an email!
October 25, 2009
There’s nothing as beautiful as a table top in finely honed hardwood. I’ve probably hand-crafted hundreds of them in my career, and I never get tired of the result.
Now that doesn’t mean I turn my back on other natural materials that make fantastic table tops. Granite, slate, glass, and marble each provide a cool contrast to the natural warmth of wood. Here in Vermont, there is no shortage of slate, granite, or marble, but we can get stone from all around the world, which means you have a broad array of colors and textures — all naturally beautiful and durable.
If you like the appearance of glass, to blend in with the surroundings and showcase the wood, you still have choices. Although we’re committed to using tempered glass for your safety, there are variations in the glass itself.
And these surfaces aren’t limited to table tops. Consider incorporating glass or stone for the tops of dressers, occasional tables, breakfronts, buffets, and desks.
Here is dining table we recently designed and crafted. The style is the ClearLake Dining Table and the top is made in cherry with a mahogany inlay and slate inset.
October 18, 2009
In the world of woodworking, “hardware” has nothing to do with computers. In fact, when the administrators of the Taft School in Connecticut asked us to create dining tables with removable table tops but without bolts and hooks, I had to go back to my roots in timeless techniques.
I analyzed the design, which had a Gothic Revival style pedestal base, and pulled out some textbooks from the North Bennet Street School, where I studied age-old methods for building furniture. After about 20 sketches, I came up with a springboard system that used only wood, no hardware or metal of any kind.
I loved the challenge of this project — which consisted of 62 eco-friendly tables for Taft School’s dining hall. One of the things I most enjoy about hand-crafting furniture is the ability to make each piece unique — just like our customers at ClearLake Furniture!
September 30, 2009
You can get very bored with a room — same thing, day in, day out — but not your furniture, if you buy classic styles that are well made. So, if you’re feeling a little antsy and need a change, try moving what you have. Are you one of those “up against the wall” decorators? Well, grant your room decor a parole. Here are a few quick ideas for quick redecorating:
- Try placing an upholstered chair at an angle in a corner and create a reading nook.
- Move out your sofa and put a sofa table behind it to add dimension.
- Break one room into two smaller areas, like a game table and conversation pit.
- Move your sectional, maybe even breaking it into two smaller sofas.
- Introduce a piece of furniture from another room!
- If you want a bigger change, add one piece, whether it’s a pair of lamps, a different coffee table, a mirror, or an accent table.
In my house, we seem to have an unwritten rule that as soon as I can navigate the room in the dark without banging my shin, it’s time to move things around.
September 23, 2009
 The term “home office” used to mean the headquarters for a corporate conglomerate. In the 21st century, “home office” reflects the purest meaning of the two, separate words: an office in the home. Apple Computer, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and even Hershey’s Chocolate started as home-based businesses. Whether you’re running a business from your home or just need additional office space there, you need to consider a few things when setting up your home office:
- Organization. File cabinets, desk drawers, and shelves are essential to the home office, but don’t let them become repositories of unorganized files, notes, and materials. Create a system that will work for you.
- Flow. Look at the way you work. What keeps you moving from place to place during an average work day? What do you need within reach of your desk or primary workspace? Do you need certain equipment (e.g., printer, file cabinet) close by? With wireless technology, you don’t have to be hard-wired in one place. Walk through the paces of your workflow and then lay out your office to accommodate your paths.
- Space. How much square footage is available for your home office? What do you need for electrical outlets or phone jacks? Do you work primarily from your computer? Is it a desktop or laptop? Should you use a traditional desk or would an office armoire allow better use of your space?
- Aesthetics. Are you going to have clients and vendors come to your home office? What image do you want the ambience to convey? How will you use the natural light in your room decor? Do you need soft light and natural colors or are you stimulated by more vivid hues? What atmosphere promotes productivity for you? Your home office aesthetics are as important to a productive environment as the placement of your computer or the size of the room!
Your home office may be in your residence, but it IS a workplace, which means a corner in the kitchen or the dining room table is not suitable. Create the environment that will help you achieve the best results.
September 20, 2009
Our marketing maven Sue has been bugging me to write more about our upholstery. She says people don’t realize that we also sell upholstered furniture that reflects the same quality of our custom-crafted hardwood pieces.
Maybe I spend so much time in the workshop beneath our showroom that I don’t see these pieces coming and going so quickly. I know the upholstered furniture is wonderful, even though I’m not usually permitted to sit in it because of my sawdust-covered pants.
Since Sue is also a customer, I suggested that she should stop nagging me and use that energy to write about our collection of Smith Brothers Upholstery furniture herself so I could get back to the workshop, So, here is what she gave me:
Our family purchased a new recliner from ClearLake Furniture for my 85 year-old father for Christmas. He was thrilled to get a replacement for the tired, old chair in which he has been spending his days, where he eats, watches (and yells at) the television, and snuggles his beloved poodle. I think my mother was even happier to see that old chair go to a local charity. But let me tell you about the process of getting this chair, because I think THIS is what truly distinguishes ClearLake Furniture from its competitors:
- Hannah took the time to help me choose the chair and showed me the exceptional construction of both the frame and the cushions. Then she guided me through the fabric choice, wisely helping me pull out swatches that reflected the wall colors and other pieces in the living room so we could find the fabric that would work the best. She was fantastic!
- Once I ordered the chair, Barbara stayed in touch and let me know when it arrived at the shop — a week earlier than expected! She went to great pains to coordinate the shipping with me.
- The delivery men showed up right on time. That, in itself, is a phenomenon in these days of “we’ll be there between noon and whenever.” They were very careful with the chair and extremely friendly, even after the long day they had already endured.
ClearLake Furniture is not just a furniture maker. You are a team of highly talented professionals who make the experience more memorable!
Here’s one more compliment for you. Both my sister and sister-in-law said the recliner was so beautiful that they would want it in THEIR homes — and if you knew how picky both of these women are, you’d know this is the highest compliment!
So, when re you going to start telling the world about your wonderful upholstered furniture???
Thanks, Sue, I think you just did!
August 13, 2009
July 29, 2009
There are a lot of comings and goings in our ClearLake Furniture showroom, particularly with our upholstered pieces, which come in on an almost weekly basis, but then disappear from the showroom with equal speed.
Smith Brothers of Berne’s upholstery has proven to be the right addition to our furniture “family”. When we were looking to expand our choices in this area, we looked at a lot of companies but none came so close to our own business mission as Smith Brothers. The quality craftsmanship, timeless designs, and attention to detail and personal service were a solid match with our own.
We looked at many companies and got a lesson in furniture buying! There is a vast difference in the construction of upholstered furniture, just like with hardwood pieces. But at least with our hardwood furniture, you can see every bit of the construction. With upholstery, you can be so easily distracted by the fabric and style that you might miss some of the simple flaws.
Here’s what I like about Smith Brothers of Berne and, more importantly, why YOU should, too:
- The frames are made of kiln-dried hardwood maple to resist warping, which can occur from household humidity.
- Smith Brothers’ coil spring suspension is machine-tied for maximum durability.
- The suspension features an elevated front support edge for better sitting and longer life.
- Each seat is individually supported and floated over the frame.
- The legs are built-in so they won’t loosen or break.
- The back and seat cushions are polyester-wrapped, which adds plushness and prevents the covers from slipping around the foam core.
When you’re shopping for upholstered furniture, be sure to compare these features with the pieces you’re considering. And if they can’t offer a lifetime warranty, be sure to ask why!
The economy has grasped businesses in a stranglehold that is choking the life and breath out of our sense of security. Every day, the news headlines have a depressing array of more announcements of layoffs and business closures. We’ve seen starving businesses respond with drastic reductions, slashing their profits in order to keep their doors open a little bit longer.
I don’t think the answer is to do business more cheaply. We should be doing it better. We are all working as hard as we can, so perhaps we just need to work smarter.
What does that mean? Well, we need to focus on doing our jobs without distractions or shortcuts, to forge ahead with innovations that will continue to improve our products and services, and keep our eyes on our number one priority: you, the customer.
I believe the best thing we can do for our customers is to look at what you need for your home or office, and to then provide you with the quality that lasts a lifetime. The way I see ClearLake Furniture it is our job to:
- Live up to your standards of excellence — and then exceed them with furniture that is crafted to your liking and built with only the best materials, by highly skilled artisans.
- Continue to create new designs for fine hardwood furniture that meets your need for function and your desire for style.
- Help you to customize your furniture with your choice of materials, sizes, and details so that you get exactly what you want.
- Communicate with you throughout the process of crafting your furniture so that you know how it’s progressing and when it will be delivered to you.
- Coordinate delivery that is convenient for you!
- Back up everything we build with the guarantee of your 100% satisfaction.
- Be your resource for solutions about your furniture, its maintenance, your decorating challenges, and other needs we can meet.
- Respect your concerns, welcome your inquiries and address your requests promptly, courteously, and professionally at all times.
If you ever feel we have not lived up to any of these responsibilities, please email me at brent@clearlakefurniture.com. And if we’ve done a good job for you, feel free to let me know that, too!
July 27, 2009
This is a great way for us to make your purchase of hand-crafted furniture from ClearLake an even more personal experience – we can show the whole process from choosing the raw wood for the piece to the final polish! We can send you photos of the steps along the way to crafting your custom creation.
Additionally, as any especially interesting pieces of wood, challenging special requirements, or exciting new designs come up we can instantly share them with our friends and clients. We’re also willing to share what we know — if you’re interested, we can show you how to create a dove-tail joint and explain why it’s going to help your furniture live beautifully through years of use by your family.
We’re hoping this will be a way to involve you, our clients (and prospective clients!) in the work we love doing every day.
Let us know your comments and questions – we look forward to hearing from you!
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