Heron Stool, 2015
Western Maple and Danish Cord
I started with the Great Blue Heron and Danish Modern design. My challenge was to take the heron into the structure of the chair. The height of the kitchen stool gives the piece sleek vertical lines. The bent laminated crest rail contrasts with the angular legs, like the curve of a heron’s neck over its knobby knees. Chamfered rails reflect light as if on water, echoing the rippling figure of the Eastern Maple veneer on the crest rail. The marquetry of a heron in flight challenges Danish Modern’s minimalism without disrupting the chair’s clean lines. The seat is woven out of Danish cord in a traditional pattern.
I designed this chair for my father, who stands with the herons.