Ladies Writing Desk

This piece, which stands 39" tall and just 2' wide, was mainly inspired by 18th century French provincial furniture. Provincial refers to works built in the country as opposed to metropolitan areas. Although this furniture was not fashioned to such highly ornate standards, it was inspired by and somewhat modeled after the leading styles of the nearby capital cities. Because craftsmen were limited to working with the skills, tools and material available in the country; their work took on an honest quality that I feel is rarely seen elsewhere. The design for this desk started (as all designs do) with a sketch. It was not until much later that I realized I had designed myself into a corner. If you look closely at the side of the desk you'll notice the legs are integral to the case. That may seem simple enough, but in reality it proved to be a construction hurdle. Eventually I came up with a construction and assembly procedure that I felt would work. In researching for this piece I found many examples of slant top desks that had asymmetrical galleries. I like the idea of a balanced asymmetry and chose to design that into this piece.