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Questions & Answers Q. If you were going to build a piece of furniture for me, what would be the first questions you would ask me? A. Well, first of course, I'd ask what you wanted built. When most people come to me, they have something in mind and they have an image of how they want it to look and how they want it to work. Then pretty quickly, I'd get into questions about how you intend to use it. Is it going to be used often? Or is it more of a show piece? For example, if it's an entertainment center, I’d ask if you were left or right handed so we'd know where the components would go, how the doors should open. Those are practical, functional things I need to know. Q. What else is important in that preliminary discussion? A. Before I begin a design, I need to understand your style preferences. There are so many styles you can choose and different directions you can go. For example, do you want the appearance to emphasize the wood? Do you want to see a lot of metal hardware or would you rather conceal the hardware? Do you want a modern appearance or would you prefer a classic or traditional look? Those are some of the general issues that come up early. Eventually, we’ll get down to specifics. For example, with cabinets there’s always the question of whether the drawers and cabinets should be flush, so you have a single flat surface across the face of all the cabinets. It’s an issue worth considering, because it takes more room to make everything flush. If you have a very small space, you may want to overlay the doors and drawer fronts to make maximum use of the space. So, we work with those types of practical questions in the design process. It’s a balance between the appearance and the function. Q. Is it better for people to come to you with a design in mind? A. Generally, people know what they want. They have a certain image of the project in their mind. From my end, that’s a blessing. I’d rather work with someone that has a clear vision of what they want. Then it’s a matter of making sure that I produce something that matches that dream. I’d rather not be in the position of trying to guess what someone wants and I definitely don’t want to force my vision on someone else. I don't want them to go, "Hey, why'd I get this thing? It wasn’t what I really wanted." 
That’s not to say that I won’t bring my ideas to the project. My job is to learn what you want. Get a good understanding of the problems we need to solve and then bring my experience to the job. The end result should match your dreams and in most cases it should add something extra to the project…a little extra functionality or a more fully realized vision when it comes to design and aesthetics. Q. So, people come to you with a specific need and maybe a problem they need to solve. They give you their thoughts on how they expect it to look. Then it’s up to you to make that vision come alive. A. I was thinking about that the other day. If I could do what I wanted to do and it had nothing to do with money, I’d be a full time inventor. That’s all I’d do, because it’s problem solving. It’s finding a need for something and then filling that void. And that’s what my woodworking usually is. I’m inventing all the time…coming up with solutions to problems and puzzles. People come to me with a need. They give me some parameters, regarding style and function. Then I get to be the inventor and come up with a solution that will make them happy. |
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