The Essentials for Creating a Beautiful, Comfortable Chair

Instructor; Craig Vandall Stevens

• To be scheduled (2-week course, Monday - Friday)

This 2-week workshop explores the essentials of chair making – design and construction techniques used to create a fine, hand-made chair which is an expression of the maker. Participants will consider chair making from the design stage through the construction process, focusing on chair comfort, aesthetics and strength. 

Students will engage in thorough design considerations such as sketching and mockup techniques, aimed at demystifying the design process. The finer points of woodworking such as selecting wood grain that works harmoniously with chair design as well as construction techniques will be studied closely. Participants will design and begin to create individual chairs with an eye toward pushing the envelope of their own experience with the benefit of Craig’s close attention. Students may also choose from a selection of existing chair designs if they prefer not to design their own.

The days are spent in hands-on work, daily lectures and demonstrations aimed at improving participant’s design and woodworking skills. Traditional joinery techniques including single & double mortise & tenon, working with curves and bent-laminations, seat-frame construction and upholstery, and finishing will be demonstrated and practiced. Class is held Monday - Friday of both weeks.

The tuition is $1600 and does not include material. Cherry, maple and ash are available for purchase from PFW, as is poplar for making full-size mockups. Depending on the student's chair design, additional materials may be needed (upholstery supplies, etc.). Students are responsible for their own lunch.

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