Bentwood Tables

My awareness of steam-bent and laminated wood began with a wooden tennis racquet, which I still think is a beautiful artifact. Long fascination with wooden boat construction exposed me to bent and laminated ribs that provide precise shape and great strength-to-weight ratio. In my formative years I admired the chairs of Alvar Aalto and Sam Maloof, which incorporated bent lamination. My idea was to use this process of steam bending and laminating to build in three dimensions and to make an entire structure of one continuous line. I built a steam box and construction jigs for the first bent and laminated walnut Starr Table in 2009. Since then, as my techniques have improved, I have experimented with several wood species and continue to build new shapes. Each piece is light, strong, open, and contributes dynamic curves to any space.