Designer furniture, price vs quality

[matthew]

I'm not a traditionalist by any means and don't wish to cause offence, but that desk is awful. sorry

Vive la difference etc! I love it but always interested in other folks' views!

i find this more pleasing to the eye

I'm rather fond of that table, too - also by the same designer, Carlo Mollino. Rather an eccentric fellow, I think - I have a book of his furniture and although I haven't tried anything along the same lines yet, it's definitely been been one of my inspirations to pursue this woodwork lark.

 

[the_g_ster]

All,

Some interesting points on previous post. I was interested in what a Clive Christian kitchen looks like, so popped in to a branch to have a look. I have to say that I was pretty surprised, the quality was very good, but didnt warrant the basic 60k price tag they go for. It seems that most of the money goes on profile and image. It really is amazing how much people will pay for what they think is the best but isn't nessarily. In an ideal world I would be flogging kitchens I knew were masterpieces and charged a fair price for.

G

 

[Matt1245]

I was interested in what a Clive Christian kitchen looks like, so popped in to a branch to have a look. I have to say that I was pretty surprised, the quality was very good, but didnt warrant the basic 60k price tag they go for

Atr least i know they use good quality hinges, screws and abrasives etc. We supply them

Have you seen how much the perfume is tho :shock:

Matt.

 

[deirdre]

Well, while we're talking about designer desks, I should confess my fondness for this beast.

The original Dordoni, as I recall, was actually made out of Wenge. Now they're veneer over MDF.

So, given that I don't like fussy desks and do like to have a lot of room to move about, I've considered making one of these with solid wood, getting an ironsmith to make the legs.

I was convinced to think about it because of this blog entry about having bought one.

Not only is the original desk poorly made (by my standards) and pricey, it's also too big, so my intent is to scale it down. 23" is really the minimum depth for this beast, so to maintain the original concept dimensions, it'd be 37" or 46" wide.

My thought was to have a torsion box much like the pic below, where the black lines are the vertical members between the layers. The original Dordoni had the sides open (he's an architect, so it let him put plans on the side of his desk), but I find letter-sized paper much more useful in my daily life, so I was going to split it into two sections. The middle sections would be drawers (facing front or rear, depending).

Thoughts?

 

[Chris Knight]

Deidre,

I guess we have very different tastes! It looks like something found in a cafeteria to me, also the idea of stacking stuff in the sides seems a bit barmy, I'd rather use the thickness for drawers if I had to build one.

I don't think you need a torsion box at the size you are proposing. A single central divider and the end pieces (the mini-stiles as it were) between the top and bottom should add sufficient rigidity.

 

[deirdre]

I don't normally like stuff this modern, so it surprised me. I do tend to like open desks so I can sprawl my legs out. I was also thinking about a slightly funky wrought iron base to it that might give it more character and make it look a tad less industrial.

 

[wizer]

Your next project Tom?

yeh sure Chris, expect a phone call when it all goes wrong!

Actually I'm planning a new desk atm, modernish, but not quite as 'stylish' (Read: unpractical and ugly) as these pieces.

deirdre: I like that more than the first desk, but you really need a big room for it to 'work'. It's also not very practical, imagine it with a monitor, keyboard and mouse on it. That vase won't check your email :lol:

 

[deirdre]

Actually, I like a small desk -- I use a laptop as my every day workstation, though I may get an external monitor, keyboard and mouse once I build the darn desk.

 

[matthew]

I quite like this Dordoni desk also. This top is quite large, flat and thin - I've never made anything with one piece that size. What would be the best way to construct it - if it were solid wood, wouldn't it be be too prone to warping? Would (gulp) MDF be the most prudent way to go?

 

[deirdre]

I quite like this Dordoni desk also. This top is quite large, flat and thin - I've never made anything with one piece that size. What would be the best way to construct it - if it were solid wood, wouldn't it be be too prone to warping? Would (gulp) MDF be the most prudent way to go?

Personally, I think plywood would be ideal. If you went with veneer, MDF over plywood would give a better veneering surface in all likelihood.

I don't think it'd be especially prone to warping -- really, the construction isn't all that different from a standard desk except for the open ends, which I'm not leaving open.

The interior torsion box concept is quite strong.

 

[tx2man]

I often have a squint in the old viscount's shop as i go past,
and it does tend to be all chic and no substance.
Mind you, i think he scrapes a living from it, even though he's
surrounded by a lot of high end furniture and antique places.

Nice bloke though. When i picked him up a couple of weeks
ago, we had a quick chat on the 'wood thang' and he's definitely
into it, as it were.
ps.
He told me he never carries any cash, so when he got out he said
''Have a drink on me Cabbie'', as his p.a. got her purse out :roll:

Tx

 

[Martin Brown]

Mind you a name can be a key to value. My partner has just sold her 3 Grange furniture pieces for 60% of the purchase price that were 12 years old and had been used each day.

Martin