Furniture for the 21st Century

Rating:
Summary: See it Now & Save For Later: This one is a keeper!
Review: I don't know what copy of this book the reviewer below was looking through, but this Hardcover version of the book is ENTIRELY in COLOR. The reproductions are top notch, the printing values nearly as good. In any event, this is the kind of art book that one buys and reads now and then puts on the shelf for future reference. The author, rather editor, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts as well as a furnture maker. She has chosen to highlight the works of a couple dozen contemporary British furniture makers whose works range from outdoors benches, to occasional tables, beds, bureaus, wardrobes, entertainment centers, dining room tables sofas and chairs, plus other stuff too. The designs are the kind which make one think "WOW." If you are an American, you'll no doubt find yourself wondering why one doesn't find things of such beauty over here. Well, strictly speaking this is not entirely true, but outside of New England, the art furniture stores that I have visited just have had nothing with the wow factor as seen in this book. Some designs are so far out that one recoils, others are awe-inspiring. Few, if any will elicit no reaction. I'm not a furniture maker, and know good furniture only because my family is blessed with many fine pieces handed down over generations. I love the idea that many of the fine pieces in this tome are of the type that one can proudly hand down to the next generation and they are sure to be cherished. Note for pirates: You may find yourself, as I may, taking this book down to a custom furniture maker and pointing to an image with the words "I want one like that!"

Rating:
Summary: good designs
Review: This is a richly illustrated, panorama of contemporary English furniture makers and their designs. Several pages of color photos are devoted to each artesian. If there is a focus it is on lamination and the blending of several materials with wood, such as metals and glass. The quality of the illustrations could allow one to faithfully adopt proportions and curves to ones own designs. I look foreward to similar books dealing with other cultures and countries.