Practical Furniture Design

About the Book:

If you've been looking for practical advice on how to design furniture, you know there's not much information out there.

That's why we decided to create Practical Furniture Design, a comprehensive collection of articles dedicated to furniture design -- all gleaned from the pages of Fine Woodworking magazine.

By offering thoughtful insights on the creative process, this unique volume gives you all the advice you need to design and build your own projects -- from some of the world's most accomplished woodworkers.

Here's an example of the breadth and depth of design advice you'll find:

• Where to find inspiring design ideas
• Construction strategies that will inform your creative process
• How to create professional working drawings
• Ways to solve knotty construction problems
• 366 photos and 297 illustrations that bring the design process to life

Based on the philosophy that good design leads to good construction, this valuable reference stretches the concept of design well beyond aesthetic considerations.

You'll discover strategies for making form and function work seamlessly together. You'll learn how to choose appropriate materials for every project. And you'll find out how to use sound building strategies to make every design as sturdy as it is beautiful.

As you flip through the pages of this useful resource, you'll learn how it truly lives up to its name. Here's the most practical book you're likely to find on the art and craft of furniture design.

• Paperback
• 8-1/2 x 10-7/8 in.
• 272 pages, with 366 photographs and 297 drawings
• Published 2009
• ISBN 978-1-60085-078-3

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• SECTION 1 - About Design
  Designing Furniture: A Survival Guide, A Guide to Good Design, Sam Maloof on Design, 9 Tips for Better Design
• SECTION 2 - Making Plans and Models
  Drafting Basics, Mock-Ups Quicken the Design Process, Fine Tune Designs Before You Build, Scaling Furniture from Photos, Building Without Plans
• SECTION 3 - Right In Style
  A Short History of Design, Quintessential Arts and Crafts, Building in the Language of Greene and Greene, Elements of the Shaker Style, Edge Treatments Make a Difference
• SECTION 4 - Working with Wood
  Designing Along the Grain, Understanding Wood Movement
• SECTION 5 - Tables
  Supporting Drop Leaves, Designing on the Go: A Coffee Table Takes Shape, Designing Table Legs, Joining Legs to Aprons, Attaching Tabletops, Engineering a Table with Drawers, An Illustrated Guide to Table Design
• SECTION 6 - Casework and Cabinets
  Building Bookshelves to Last, Anatomy of a Chest of Drawers, Designing a Chest of Drawers, Dressing Up a Basic Box, Graduated Drawers, Drawer-Design Strategies, Where Furniture Meets the Floor, Sideboard Strategies, A Back for Every Cabinet
• SECTION 7 - Chairs
  What Makes a Chair Stand Up to Abuse?
• SECTION 8 - Special Purpose Furniture
  Anatomy of a Bed, Furniture Kids Will Love, Furniture for Your Next TV
• Credits
• Index