Kate Rowe, Lean on Me chair (TABLES, CHAIRS & DESKS 2024)

Photos:

Kate Rowe

This easy chair was designed and started at Sturt School for Wood in late 2021 with teacher David Upfill-Brown, and completed in my home workshop during 2023. The crutch-like construction of the back legs, with their brass wing nut fixings, is a nod to brief spells during my life when I have used crutches; the design also provides structural integrity. The mid-century feel of the piece resonates with the shape of now mostly obsolete wooden crutches. The chair was crafted with a combination of machine and hand tool joinery. Hand-cut joinery includes the dadoes for webbing and arm insets, twin mortise and tenons for seat rails, and angled mortises for the crest rail tenons. Wood is American Rock Maple finished with Livos Kunos Countertop Oil plus cabinet makers’ wax. The webbing is secured with brass screws, and can be adjusted or replaced. The washable cushion covers are Marimekko linen/cotton. I hope this piece remains in the family for a long time - it is designed to be robust as well as finely crafted.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.