Designer’s Corner

Hello All…

The Lyndon Blog will now be hosted at the following address:

http://lyndon.com/blog

 

We hope to see you there for this weeks installment.

Thank you

Designer’s Corner

All Things Reconsidered…

There are times in life and business when things are best altered for ‘simplicity sake’.  This was one of those times.

In earlier posts you may have read bits on the development of the ‘Caspian Table’. This table was to be the platform on which we introduced our ‘Velour’ glass Table top options. Opinions varied, but throughout the prototype process it was discussed that the original leg of the Caspian table, being “L” shaped and 4” wide may be a little on the heavy side. In an effort to achieve more universal appeal we refined the leg a few times until finally it came into a similar proportion as our already established ‘Stowe’ Mission leg. It was so similar we asked ourselves, “Why Complicate Things?” and decided to add Velour glass to the Stowe Mission leg instead.  This also brought forth another idea…” Why not offer ‘Velour’ glass on all of our four leg tables including occasionals?” 

Designer’s Corner

Out of the Box

Here’s to never being able to color inside the lines.

Here’s to asking yourself “why not,”

Here’s to thinking a little outside of the box. (Literally)

Some designs are elegant in their simplicity. Some have just a small variation in detail that sets them dramatically apart from everything else. Adjusting the ‘particulars’ of something, making it new and different is the pleasure of design.  There is a certain feeling we all get when we catch ourselves crossing lines that we imagine are boundaries. It’s like a small shot of adrenaline with a chaser of curiosity. This is the recipe for innovation, and everyone is capable of it.

We at Lyndon embrace these ideals, and staying true to form, we are proud to introduce the Brookline ‘stepped’ Bookcase storage unit. This unit is designed for decorative, home office, entertainment media, or literary storage.

Are you imagining what different uses this unit may have for you? If so, you are already starting to innovate.

You create your surroundings….

Surround yourself with elements that inspire you…

You never know what’s waiting to come ‘out of the box,’ until you open it …

Designer’s Corner

Better late than never…

As we approach the finish line for this year many of our products are in full sprint. Some pieces were conceived of late in the race and materials had not arrived till the last leg. This is the case for the ‘Sherwood’ table. The Sherwood line possesses a sense of organic appeal that is just not inclusive to all other lines.

There is almost an unseen force behind some designs, it’s like the piece was always there, just waiting to be assembled or brought to fruition. Especially when you are dealing with natural shapes, the pieces seem to have a sense of movement and take on a life of their own, even in the simplest of configurations. “There is no greater designer than Mother Nature.”

The Sherwood line is ‘Green’ in every sense. The lumber used is from reputable and sustainable sources. The base is made of vertical ‘slices/slabs’ of a whole trees, leaving virtually no waste. The top is similar to the base, only center boards have been added to acquire the width that is necessary for comfortable dining. The Sherwood line of furniture, (rest of line soon to come) pays tribute to the trees these pieces are made from.

Showcasing the natural beauty of wood is what we strive and love to do. We hope to continue designing, creating and paying tribute to all the elements involved and run this race with winged heels.

Designers Corner

This week’s featured sustainable hardwood:

Cherry (Black Cherry)

The black cherry tree is native to eastern North America. It is also known as a wild cherry or wild rum cherry tree. One of the largest cherry trees, the black cherry tree can grow to heights of fifty to eighty feet with a mature spread of twenty to fifty feet. Like all fruit trees, cherry belongs to the rose family.  American Colonists used all of the Black Cherry trees attributes, like its inedible fruits and bark, to make medicines and to flavor certain cordials, such as ‘Cherry Bounce’. The body of the tree was (and still is) used for fine home furnishings such as, cabinets, tables, beds, dressers etc. Cherry is easy to machine, nails and glues well, and when sanded and finished, it produces a truly beautiful finish. Cherry dries fairly quickly with a fair amount of shrinkage and will remain somewhat dimensionally stable after kiln drying.  However, it will swell or shrink depending on the level of humidity present in the air; therefore, we as designers/manufacturers need to accommodate for the possibility of movement.

Wood is very sensitive to changes in relative humidity. As the weather changes, so does the relative humidity in your home and in the moisture content of the wood in your furniture. This means that furniture is constantly expanding and contracting. Wood does best in moderate conditions of around 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of about 50 – 55 percent. That means using a humidifier in winter and an air conditioner in summer. Furniture ages more quickly if stored in a basement, attic, garage or warehouse. Excess heat and dryness can cause wood to split and crack. Place furniture away from all heat sources, if possible. If you must put furniture near an air duct, use a shield or guard plate to direct heat away.

The heartwood of cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age. Cherry is also photosensitive, meaning prolonged exposure to sunlight can quickly deepen the color of the wood. Take care, as not to leave an object on a surface for prolonged periods when exposed to direct light.

In contrast to the inner layers, the outer sapwood is creamy white. The wood normally has a fine uniform, straight grain, satiny, smooth texture and may naturally contain character enhancing, curls and mineral pockets. Each piece of wood is unique and as such the natural color or grain variations will cause the wood to react differently to finish. It is common to find several contrasts in the same piece of furniture. The lighter pieces were closer to the tree’s bark, the darker pieces were closer to the tree’s center.

All in all, this wood is a brilliant material with exceptional workability and finished appeal.  There are many examples of this (and other hardwoods that will be touched on in later posts) in our Lyndon website.  http://www.lyndon.com/