"One of a kind." The expression is used all too often. Every wood creation is one-of-a-kind in some respects. The choice of woods, grain patterning, arrangements, and finishing techniques all add to the uniqueness of each piece of custom-built furniture. Many custom furniture makers mix and match styles and elements of traditional furniture designs in hopes of achieving a novel look in their own creations.

But truly unique designs depart from traditional approaches in their features and elements of construction. A furniture design is a single thought, a song, expressed throughout the final work without adding extraneous ideas from other sources. The wood, shape, and flow of the piece form a single note.

The finished furniture does not necessarily stand and "demand" to be regarded. In fact, mix-and-match design stands out mainly because it incorporates traditional elements familiar to the viewer. A fully designed piece is often too subtle in its appearance for that. More often its look gradually grows on the viewer, especially after time has afforded comparison with other works for its uniqueness.

Carrying a fresh design from inception to finality requires an extensive background in tooling and joinery. Most often, new tools and jigs need to be created just for a particular piece. Traditional furniture is made with traditional tools. For compound curves, sweeping forms, etc., new tools must be created constantly.

My construction techniques represent a departure from most quality custom work. Each piece is constructed to last 200 years. Finish techniques, though labor-intensive, are time-tested and traditional. Pieces are finish-coated inside and out, to minimize sizing and warpage through the ages.

Joinery techniques range from European to Japanese. Deep inlay techniques are an amalgam of old methods with new machine tools I've created, enabling me to design inlays around compound curves, providing a timeless, dramatic accent. Although some of the works in my collection are designed for spec (with no particular client in mind), my best successes involve working directly with a client to create a peerless piece. Through interviews and discussions I glean an understanding of the client's dreams and tastes. Rather than fitting that with what I have done previously, I use their needs as a blank canvas to design matchless creations in which the clients see a bit of themselves. The possession of a piece like this goes beyond mere ownership, because the piece doesn't merely increase the beauty of your home, but becomes a part of you.

Sincerely,
D. O. Crofcheck

These pages created and maintained by Czarena Crofcheck
Copyright © 2003 DOC Woodworking. All rights reserved. Revised: 12/15/03