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!