The Executive Office - (Part 1) - A Case Study

In 2005 we displayed our Gentleman's Valet Stand in the "Studio North" area of the Interior Design Show in Toronto.


At one point the inlay work on this cabinet caught the attention of a visitor from the United States, and before long he and I were engaged in a lengthy discussion about design and the works of Art Deco masters such as Jules Leleu and Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann.

Given this fellow's extensive knowledge of furniture design and craftsmanship, I assumed he was either an architect or a designer. It turns out he was neither.

Instead, this fellow turned out to be an entrepreneur who owns a mid sized company located in a major American city. He said he was shopping for ideas on having custom furniture made for his executive office, although he was in no particular rush to have anything done.

In the ensuing years we stayed in touch, until last year when things finally progressed to the point where we were able to move forward with a tangible proposal.

This will be the first post of several that will become a case study of the creative process behind the designing and making of custom furniture for the executive office of our client "JLT".

Next: The Executive Office - (Part 2) - The Initial Site Meeting

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IDS11 - It's a Wrap !!!

Today was the third and final day of the Interior Design show (IDS11) . Once again the attendance was strong, and with some careful planning we were able to stretch Kevin's literature into the final minutes of the show - even if only barely.

The show closed promptly at 6:00 p.m., and that's when the real activity started with everyone busily packing up and clearing out their space. I was highly impressed with the speed and efficiency displayed by exhibitors vacating their spaces. I was even more impressed with the sense of community spirit and cooperation within Studio North, as exhibitors choreographed their efforts to also help each other with lifting and wrapping and sharing tools etc.

If the whole world worked this way, the whole world could work this way.

Kevin and I were packed up and on the road less than 2 hours after the show closed, and that was no mean feat considering that we had to dismantle and move some very heavy cabinetry from the show floor to the loading dock and into a mini-van.

All in all the response to Kevin's display was phenomenal, and we'll see in the coming weeks what develops in the way of leads.

In the meantime it's back into the shop tomorrow.

There's custom furniture to be made.

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IDS11 - Day #2 - Another Roar

Today was Day #2 of the Interior Design Show (IDS11). Where yesterday was professional trade day, today was the first of two weekend sessions open to everyone - including the public.

That said there was a different mix of traffic today, with more couples and families in attendance. Nevertheless the traffic flow through Studio North was intense yet again, and the following video clip will give an idea of some of the crowds.



Incidentally, this video was taken during one of the quieter times - when it got really busy I was helping Kevin answer questions.

In the grand scheme of things I'm glad we attended the opening night party, because that was the only time I got to see any of the non-Studio North exhibits.

(Not that I really care, because Studio North is where the coolest stuff is anyway.)

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Ay, Caramba - IDS11 Opens With a Roar !!!

O. M. G.

Before this year's Interior Design Show (IDS11) began I had a feeling that Kevin's display would generate some positive "buzz". The reality of opening day, however, blew my expectations right out of the water.

IDS11 opened with a roar, and within the first hour the aisles in Studio North were jammed with visitors. With little effort was Kevin creating traffic jams in front of his booth with demonstrations of his rotating T.V. cabinet.

Before the show began I told him he'd have to "keep that thing moving" to get people to notice his work. (I was concerned that his less-than-prime location might be a detriment to him getting seen). In reality, there were a few times I had to get Kevin to shut things down - just to get traffic flowing again and keep surrounding exhibitors from getting ticked off. It was mayhem - in a good way.

I truly lost count of how many times I heard the words "awesome" and "amazing" used to describe Kevin's work. Within the first 4 hours he had already gone through more handouts than he gave out for during the entire IDS10 show last year. At the rate things were going he'd have been out of literature by mid-afternoon, and we had to change tactics to only giving handouts to those who specifically asked.

Business News Network (BNN) interviewed him at one point, and a video cameo of him appeared on tonight's national broadcast on Global 57. (I won't repost it here because his face time was only about 10 seconds long, but it's in the middle of a 9 minute segment).

In addition to BNN there are also several design bloggers who have posted positive reviews of his work, including Remote Stylist, Bedford Brooks , Blogto , Mosaicworks , and Delectably Chic.

Long story short: Kevin had a magnificent day today, and I am so happy for him!

But 'my dogs are barking', my back is aching, and it's time relax with a pint.

Tomorrow will be another long one as day #2 of IDS11 gets under way.

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IDS11 is Ready for Lift Off

Kevin is off to Toronto this morning to finish setting up for the Interior Design Show (IDS11) . After a feverish marathon session yesterday he also has some Press Kits to drop off at the Media Centre.

Meanwhile, I'm off to the shop to focus on some of the more mundane things in life, such as the actual making of custom furniture.

In today's installment of relentless promotion I am showing a detail photo of one of Kevin's mosaic inlay panels. Kevin has cut each inlay by hand, and what I find most amazing is that he doesn't even work from a drawing when creating these panels. He simply starts with one segment and then intuitively decides what size, shape and wood species the next one will be, etc etc etc until a finished panel is created - much like you see here.

At one point he did try to optimize the process by using standardized shapes and templates, but the end result (although faster to make) ended up looking too uniform and "engineered". I encouraged him to revert to his original method of doing this free hand which is, frankly, brilliant both in design and execution.

A mobile video showing the recently completed display has recently been uploaded to Youtube. Please excuse the poor audio, since there is still a great deal of background noise as other exhibits are still being completed.

As you can see a large example of Kevin's mosaic inlay will be featured as a rotating panel on the media cabinet.

It will be on display in Studio North booth SN-42 for the next 4 days.

Meanwhile, IDS11 opens tonight with a gala bash called "All You Need is Love".

Kevin and I will be there to enjoy some fun before IDS11 ramps into high gear tomorrow morning with Professional Trade Day.

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The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Kevin Wiggers at IDS11

Here are the top 5 reasons to visit Kevin Wiggers' booth #SN-42 at this week's Interior Design Show (IDS11).


Reason #5:

Although everyone loves the idea of having large flat screen TVs in their home, how do you hide these things when you're not watching television?

Kevin's solution is a custom made cabinet that can hide a 40" LCD TV inside a 6" deep space.



Reason #4

Reason #4 for visiting Kevin at IDS11 is to check out his use of environmentally responsible and sustainable materials.

Going "green" has come a long way from recycling old crates to make furniture. The cabinet shown in the video is made of FSC certified Ebony which has been laminated using non-UF glue. The cabinet is also finished in a low-VOC water based urethane, which means that it qualifies for points under the LEED program.

Reason #3

Reason #3 for visiting Kevin Wiggers at this week's IDS11 is to see an example of his mosaic veneer inlay work. The rotating panel in the video above has been meticulously inlaid by hand using individually shaped panels of wood veneer. The inlays were cut freehand and have been fitted with incredible precision. If nothing else this mosaic panel demonstrates Kevin's exceptional skill and talent using traditional marquetry techniques learned from his grandfather.

Reason #2

The #2 reason for visiting booth #SN42 at IDS11 is to see a rare example of geniune fine parchment work.



The large sample that Kevin will have on display is going to be the real McCoy, using the same materials and techniques that the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians used as far back as the 6th Century BC. (That said, this sample is NOT going to be faux finished paint or textured wallpaper.)

Reason #1

Finally (drum roll, please) , the number #1 reason for visiting booth SN42 at this year's Interior Design Show is to meet the maker: Kevin Wiggers.

For a young man who turns 21-years-old tomorrow, this kid has talent.

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