Ordinary Seating

A modern counter height chair in walnut with a hand-rubbed oil finish. Traditional joinery paired with graceful lines, a sculped seat, and footrest makes the Ordinary Tall Chair a stylish and comfortable counter chair. Seat height is 17 inches.

Ordinary Tall Chair - 25” seat height

My first chairs, in 1990, mark my transition from cabinetmaking and finish carpentry to establishing an independent furniture shop. My favorite chair at the time was George Nakashima’s walnut Conoid, which relies exclusively on joinery for support of a cantilevered seat. My joinery was not up to the task, so I incorporated a cross brace, a feature I saw regularly beneath a local railroad bridge. Eponymously, I still use that structure in my Rocker X. In my experience, joinery is stronger and more repairable than screws and hardware, especially in chairs, so my chairs include no metal.

My straight chairs, rockers, and stools have developed concurrently throughout the past 25 years, and with each small batch, the designs continue to evolve.

A wood-framed, modern armchair in husk-stained walnut with fabric covered seat and back cushions. A combination of traditional joinery and clean lines make the Ordinary Lounge Chair comfortable, sturdy, and beautiful.

Ordinary Lounger in husk-stained Walnut

A modern side chair in walnut with a hand-rubbed oil finish. Traditional joinery paired with clean lines and a sculped seat makes the Ordinary Chair perfect for a comfortable dining chair, accent chair, or desk chair. Seat height is 17 inches.

Ordinary Chair - 17” seat height

A modern rocking chair in hand-carved walnut. With a sculpted seat, back-supporting laminated slats and a unique X-shaped frame, Rocker X is a comfortable, elegant, and sturdy rocking chair for the nursery, living room, or bedroom.

Rocker X in carved Walnut

My Zoser Stool (paying homage to Zoser and Imhotep of ancient Egyptian fame) is a pair of Z-shape cantilevered frames joined with large splines that I first noticed in the construction of splined boat knees (which can also be bent laminations). Boat building techniques are often informative for my furniture designs, considering that wooden boats have been built since before Zoser’s time and that a sailor’s life depends on sound construction.

Two Z-shaped frames joined in a mirror image configuration at the bottom point to form a V shape on the floor and topped with a rounded triangular sculpted seat. This bar stool is made of iron-stained oak, carved in a textured pattern.

Tall Zoser in iron-stained and carved oak (Animal)

Z-Stools are available in three

heights: 17, 25, and 30 inches.

The seventeen inch height is great for musicians, extra seating at the table or in the living room, or anywhere you need a compact, moveable seat. The twenty-five inch height is perfect for counter seating. The thirty inch height is the choice for bar seating or to tuck under your stand-up desk for when you want to sit for a few minutes.

Zoser Bar Stool, Zoser Counter Stool, and Zoser Stool nested in a line to illustrate the height and design differences.
Two Z-shaped frames joined in a mirror image configuration at the bottom point to form a V shape on the floor and topped with a rounded triangular sculpted seat. This 17-inch-tall stool is made of smooth cherry that will darken with age.

17 inch seat height

Two Z-shaped frames joined in a mirror image configuration at the bottom point to form a V shape on the floor and topped with a rounded triangular sculpted seat. This counter-height stool with footrest is made of cherry that will darken with age.

25 inch seat height

Two Z-shaped frames joined in a mirror image configuration at the bottom point to form a V shape on the floor and topped with a rounded triangular sculpted seat. This bar stool has a footrest and is made of smooth cherry that will darken with age.

30 inch seat height