Designer’s Notebook: John Reed Fox – Design, slowed down
A kitchen tansu seen in Japan inspired Fox to combine sliding doors and drawers in his tall dresser. The design process starts with a sketch, then evolves to a full-scale mockup and eventually the dresser itself.
For me, design evolves slowly. I am not enamored of newness. Instead I use a familiar vocabulary of line and form that I attempt to refine within each piece. My goal is to make furniture that is functional and elegant and helps create a quiet, centered, contemplative environment.
When I designed this piece, I had it in mind to build a dresser with a not-so-typical front elevation. Originally I was thinking of a long, low piece but in the end I went for something tall. The idea of mixing sliding doors with drawers was inspired by seeing kitchen tansu on a trip to Japan. To my eye the combination creates a very interesting visual rhythm. The doors also gave me a chance to add texture to what is usually a large, flat surface. And people find them very inviting. Almost everyone who sees this piece opens or at least touches…
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What are some of the methods in the drawing creation process?
I don't think mentioning the depth of the case would be giving too much away. It looks very shallow in the front to back dimension... I wonder about the stability. Otherwise, a beautiful piece!
Is there a chance of a follow up article with dimensions and some of John's construction details? Or even better, an article showing the actual construction steps?
What a beautiful dresser. It's next on my build list.