Tribeca Wall Unit - Views, views, and more views...

As the elevator opens into this 7th floor condo on Spring Street you're immediately drawn to the expanse of glass windows offering amazing views of the Hudson River and surrounding landmark buildings. It's an amazing view that's flawless except for one structural column that breaks up the wall of windows. Clearly, this column needed to be addressed and made a thing of beauty. Working once again with the brilliant Avi Kendi of Metal Dimensions his complex, yet minimal eco-friendly design was arrived at.

From floor to ceiling the entire column was wrapped in sheet metal using an intricate sub-frame of square steel tubing behind which the many wires and electrical outlets for the TV and associated A/V equipment are hidden away. The sheet metal skin was treated to a custom patina process, which beautifully compliments the neopolitan plyboo shelving that floats from its metal backing while allowing the column to disappear behind them.

The shelving was made using 3/4" plyboo and was constructed as a sandwich using an inset spacer to allow us to fit a hand-hammered strip of bronze that wraps around the face of the shelving and cabinets. We edge-banded and ebonized the plyboo to darken it so that it would coordinate with the walnut flooring, the beautiful walnut slab dining table from Hudson Furniture, and the darkened sheet metal wrapping the column. The base cabinet features 2 deep drawers that ride on soft-close hydraulic drawer slides.

This project offered many complications and opportunities for us to overcome obstacles. Standing back and enjoying the sight of this completed project is reward enough... what a view!!!

the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial To The Holocaust

About 3 months ago I was contacted by exhibit designer, Dan Fouad, from C&G Partners, LLC , an internationally-acclaimed design firm located in Union Square. Dan was working on a project for a new exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park and needed a sustainable furniture designer/builder to collaborate with in order to deliver something truly worthy of the exhibit's message and the amazing views the exhibit space provided of the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island.

Over a period of 2 months I worked with the C&G team comprised of exhibit designer, Dan Fouad, project manager, Laura Koo, partner-in-charge Jonathan Alger, and partner-in-charge/graphic design Emanuela Frigerio. Together, we arrived at an amazing, eco-friendly design utilizing Neopolitan Plyboo (bamboo plywood) and steel fabricated by the artisans at Metal Dimensions in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The design incorporated a 120 degree angle into each piece, which coordinates with the angle found at the end of the room where the glass walls look out onto the Hudson River.

Our eco-friendly materials were also finished in a very "green" way: The Plyboo was finished with a hand-applied, water-based formula so not only is the product earth-friendly, but it wasn't sprayed into the air so no airborne pollutants were created. The steel is 100% recyclable and was painted with a low VOC semi-gloss.

The 10 benches, 1 desk, and 1 kiosk will be in place for approximately 18 months with many thousands of visitors expected to use them so they need to be very durable. Fortunately, Plyboo is a very dense and reliable material that is more than capable of holding up to the repeated use much better than a typical veneered plywood and the steel base is made of 3/4" solid square tube, not hollow, so it too will last for many years to come.

Every project I undertake is important to me and I thoroughly enjoy every one of them. This project, like those before it, brought many challenges and many victories. What sets this project apart is that this exhibit is a living memorial to the Holocaust and the Museum it's housed in sits only steps away from Ground Zero. Being of Jewish heritage (on my father's side) and a New Yorker who not only lost friends on 9/11 but also worked recovery at Ground Zero this project hit very close to home for me. I can only hope each visitor to this exhibit feels the love and gratitude I put into each piece of furniture and takes a moment to reflect while sitting on one of my benches.

*Special thanks to everybody at C&G Partners who are an amazingly creative, brilliant, and organized team of professionals with whom I would eagerly work on any future project. Huge thanks to Alice Rubin at the Museum of Jewish Heritage whose attention to detail and kindness was ever-present and very much appreciated. Thanks to my friends at Soliemoves who did such an amazing job delivering all 12 of the pieces safely and quickly. Thanks to my friends Robyn Mierzwa and Kenon Perry who lent a big hand in the completion of these pieces. A big thanks to Avi Kendi at Metal Dimensions whose expertise and vision were an asset to this project. And thanks to my friends at Eco Supply Center who delivered the Plyboo for this project.

Please enjoy these pictures and let them inspire you to visit the museum and this amazing exhibit...












(photo credits: C&G Partners, LLC)

Sustainable Bedroom Suite

Between moving to a new apartment and working on so many new furniture projects I've neglected my blog. Poor blog. So I'm back to post a quick update on a project we're working on, which I've dubbed the "Sustainable Bedroom Suite." (*Editor's note, this project is now installed and being enjoyed by its gracious owners - we are scheduling a photo shoot the moment the custom window seat cushions arrive)

In collaboration with brilliant interior designer, Sarah Todd (stoddesign@gmail.com), we've designed a suite of bedroom furniture for an Upper East Side home that utilizes FSC certified plywood, bamboo plywood ("Plyboo"), Kirei plywood, and non-toxic finishes to create a modern bedroom oasis. The home owners needed lots of storage for their impressive book collection, closed storage for clothes hampers, and a desk for paperwork and internet surfing. The bookcases and hamper boxes/bench seats are made of FSC certified plywood and finished with a non-toxic precatalyzed white lacquer. The desk is made of solid Plyboo with a natural oil finish (the picture shows a combo of Plyboo and lacquer, the finished piece is 100% Plyboo). The dresser is made of Kirei and laminate.

Midcentury Plyboo Nightstand concept

Solid bamboo, dovetail joinery, soft-close drawer glides, bamboo spindle legs, hand-applied oil finish...  Does it get any better?!
This piece, like many of my pieces, was inspired by my favorite midcentury designers.  In this case, George Nelson and Paul McCobb.  Using bamboo plywood ("plyboo") I designed and built this nightstand concept as an exploration of combining mid-century design with modern, eco-friendly materials.  Even the brass drawer pulls are custom.  I love this piece and am refining it for production.  It will be available in natural, dark, and neopolitan plyboo.  It can also be made from any hardwood or plywood.  I hope you like it!