Trinity Cocktail Table

The Trinity Table was first created in 2002 as a free-form sculpted table base designed to be set under a tempered glass top.

The table as shown here has a delta shaped glass top, which measures 43" x 41" x 15-1/4" overall height.

Alternative custom sizes can be achieved by changing the size of the glass. The base itself can be sculpted from a broad spectrum of wood species, in addition to the Pommelle Sapele shown here.


Sustainable, Environmental, Eco Lifestyles, Healthy, All Natural, Home and Garden, Interior Design, Eco Friendly, Green Furniture, Green Furnishings, Green Designs, FSC Certified. Organic, LEED compliant, NAUF. CARB2, Bamboo. Non-Toxic, low-VOC, Non-UF glue, Natural Finishes.

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Ellipse II Table - Sculpted From Bamboo

In a previous post I described the creative process behind making the Ellipse II Table out of bamboo.

Bamboo has been available to custom furniture makers in veneer and plywood form for a number of years. It's use as a "green" material, however, has not been without questions and controversy.

In simple terms bamboo is considered a sustainable alternative to wood because bamboo is actually a grass and not a wood. Ironically, as demand for bamboo has grown many forests in south-east Asia have ended up being cut down to make way for bamboo plantations. This reality can hardly be interpreted as protective of trees and forests.

In addition there have been many questions about herbicide and pesticide use on these plantations, as well as the use of urea formaldehyde glues in the making of bamboo ply. And this doesn't negate other questions having to do with issues of fair labour practices in the growing, harvesting and processing of bamboo as a material.

In recent years these issues have been addressed with the introduction of FSC certification to the bamboo marketplace.

Given this availability of FSC certified bamboo that is also NAUF and CARB2 compliant I decided in early 2010 to prototype a custom made version of the Ellipse II Table crafted exclusively from carbonized bamboo plywood. The actual material came from a company called Nadurra in Toronto.

The sculpted elliptical cone base was made from stacked laminated bamboo ply sheeting that was milled and sanded to achieve its final shape. The top was made from a full sheet of bamboo ply, with the corner offcuts being used to make the built up aprons for the undercut bevel edge.

All surfaces were then sanded smooth and rubbed in a low-VOC natural linseed oil finish.

The table as shown here was unveiled at the Green Living Show in Toronto in April, 2010.

It measures 60" long x 37" wide x 29" high.



The end grain effect of the bamboo on the tapered elliptical cone base is spectacular, don't you think?


Sustainable, Environmental, Eco Lifestyles, Healthy, All Natural, Home and Garden, Interior Design, Eco Friendly, Green Furniture, Green Furnishings, Green Designs, FSC Certified, Reclaimed Materials. Organic, LEED compliant, NAUF. CARB2, Bamboo, Natural Fibers. Non-Toxic, low-VOC, Non VOC, Natural Finishes.

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We're Now Published in Switzerland !

We've recently been notified by Braun Publishing of Switzerland that two of our furniture pieces are about to be published in their new book: "Green Design".



The Kidney Shaped Desk and the Whale Tail Desk were chosen for their use of FSC certified woods, non-UF glues and low-VOC finishes.

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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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Road Trip Delivery of Eco-Furniture to Orlando, Florida

In an earlier post I described a road trip to Hollywood, Florida during which we delivered custom furniture to a luxury condominium at the Trump Hollywood. This trip reminded me of another project we delivered to Orlando, Florida in May of this year.

My son Kevin accompanied me on this delivery and along the way we took a few hours break to catch an MLB baseball game at Turner Field, between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds.


Kevin is clearly looking forward to seeing the game.


After an 8 run 2nd inning by the Reds, including a grand slam by Joey Votto, it looked like the rout was on.


This guy is probably the most avid Braves fan around. He claims to have been to EVERY single Atlanta Braves home game (in the same seat at Turner Field) stretching back over 1000+ games. He's also a walking encyclopedia on baseball facts and trivia.


Expect the unexpected. In the bottom of the 9th the Braves rallied back from a 9-3 deficit with 7 runs, including a walk-off grand slam by Brooks Conrad to win the game 10-9. The place went nuts. It turns out this was only the 24th time in MLB history that this has happened, so we truly witnessed some history in the making.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100520&content_id=10236748&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb


Kevin with the Braves superfan, moments after the incredible come-from-behind victory. (Incidentally, at the end of the 8th I told Kevin that we couldn't leave yet because the Braves were going to come back and win via walk-off grand slam. Good call, Dad!)


The reason for the road trip: overseeing delivery of custom made eco-furniture to a home near Orlando, Florida. This bedroom furniture includes an Irenic Bed and Inamorata casegoods made of FSC certified wood (that is also NAUF and CARB2 compliant), non-UF glue and low-VOC water based finish that is doctor recommended even for those with chemical sensitivities. The mattress is made of natural latex. The finish on the furniture is glazed maple.


This natural cherry finished furniture is for the guest bedroom. Consisting of an Irenic Bed and Inamorata casegoods it is also made of FSC certified wood (that is also NAUF and CARB2 compliant), non-UF glue and low-VOC water based finish that is doctor recommended even for those with chemical sensitivities.


The custom Inamorata Boxer Chest is made of natural cherry with the drawer fronts being made of Curly Birds Eye Maple from my Core Stash. All drawer boxers are dovetailed solid maple (FSC certified) running on Blumotion self-closing linear ball bearing slides. The drawer pulls are satin nickel.


This set of 3 custom made Island Tables is made of Louro Preto. The inset of river stones on the Cayman Table has been covered with a custom tempered glass top, to keep the cat from using it as a litter box.


This Ellipse II Table has been custom made in bamboo. The top features a radiating sunburst pattern and the finish is a low-VOC water based urethane.

All in all I was highly impressed by the level of research the client put into this project to verify that every aspect of our work was as environmentally responsible as possible.


Celebrating a delivery gone well....fresh ingredients + stainless steel bowl + liquid nitrogen = best ice cream ever. This shameless plug is for a hidden gem called the Pure Magic Ice Cream company. It's located in Kissimmee, Florida. www.puremagicicecream.com


When your kid is too old for Disney World, the next best thing is a 'ghetto ride' in downtown Orlando.


'The Boy' is stoked.


With some time to ourselves we checked out a street festival in downtown Orlando. While walking around we stumbled into this custom chopper with its own built-in humidor and port bar. The chopper lured me inside the Corona Cigar Company, which turns out to be North America's largest walk-in humidor...boasting an inventory of 2,000,000 +/- cigars. It turns out that we inadvertently discovered the cigar afficionado's motherlode of Arturo Fuente's, Hemingways, Ashtons, and Diamond Crowns.


The obligatory photo of me with the chopper.


The Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge. Stocked with pre-embargo Cuban cigars and Prohibition-era rum, not to mention ice cold beer. With the outside temperature hovering around 92 degrees it made sense to chill out with a beer and a stogie in air conditioned comfort. We returned later to catch game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Final although, unfortunately, the Magic failed to show to play the Celtics that night. It was an enjoyable experience nonetheless - downtown Orlando is definitely a happening place on a Saturday night.

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Trump Hollywood Condominium - Completed Project Photos

We have just received photos of the recently completed project at the Trump Hollywood condominium. They are arranged as "before" and "after" images to help show the transformation of this remarkable space.



The following is a "before" image of the office area that gives a sense of the existing space before the custom desk and cubbie cabinet were set into place.



The custom furniture shown here was crafted out of flat cut smoked maple. In the niche space to the right a cubbie cabinet was set into place, consisting of a large door concealing adjustable shelves for storage and a pull-out shelf for a wireless printer.

The main desk has a glass door display space on the right hand side placed over cubbies for storing electronic components. Double file drawers on each side of the knee space were crafted out of dovetailed solid maple running on heavy duty Blumotion self closing linear ball bearing slides.



The large open area above the work surface was designed to hold three integrated monitor screens. The pull-out keyboard tray in the kneespace is Accu-Ride.



These are the "before" images of the dining area showing the drop ceiling that the GC (General Contractor) was in the process of adding at the time. Note the round cove that is being integrated into the ceiling. This cove will later house a custom chandelier that will end up being perfectly centered over the dining table.





The dining room wall unit was crafted out of satin finished Koto wood, and detailed with antique bronze recessed pulls, halogen lighting and bronze mirrors.





The dining table is a custom made version of the Ellipse II Table with a boat shaped top configured in a diamond matched grain pattern. The Cerused Walnut finish complemented the Koto wood on the wall unit perfectly.





This is the "before" picture of the right side of the Master Bedroom main wall.



The custom furniture in this area was crafted from a light taupe figured Anigre finished in low-VOC satin lacquer. The recessed valance area over the upholstered bed was later fitted with draped custom fabric.



This is the "before" photo of the left side of the Master Bedroom.



Note how the headers over the wall panels maintain a continuous line into the valances over the windows.



The window wall before....



...and after.

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Irenic Bed - A Custom Commission

We recently delivered an Irenic Bed that was custom commissioned for clients with a keen awareness of environmental responsibility and sustainability.

Of utmost importance to them was finding a "green" bed made of FSC certified and NAUF wood, non-UF glues and low VOC finish that was also compliant with CARB2 standards. The Irenic Bed, they soon discovered, easily met these criteria.

Their next requirement was that this bed be modified to accomodate a Queen size mattress. Although the Irenic Bed is normally made in a King size, I assured them that changing to Queen was not a problem.

The next challenge was to accomodate a special mattress they had already purchased. In lieu of a conventional mattress and boxspring these clients had sourced a natural latex mattress with bunkie board that required special "T" bars to elevate the mattress to a particular height. Once again this was not a problem to do.

Finally, the clients pointed out that they wanted to keep their existing night stands, dresser and chest rather than replace with new matching casegoods. I pointed out that this would not be a problem either, because we could custom finish the bed to match the existing furniture.

The resulting bed is shown here:



We used plain sliced oak to create a radiating cathedral grain pattern on the head and footboards to emulate the rising and setting Sun. Inlay beads of solid oak were used to soften the corners, while the finish was custom tinted to match the existing night stands perfectly.

The net result is another happy customer, which is the best news of all !

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Ellipse II Table - The Bamboo Experiment

In a previous post I described the creative process behind the Ellipse II Table.



Given how beautiful this turned out to be, I began to consider other materials for custom made alternatives. One of the materials that came to mind was bamboo.

Bamboo has been available to custom furniture makers in veneer and plywood form for a number of years. It's use as a "green" material, however, has not been without questions and controversy.

In simple terms bamboo is considered a sustainable alternative to wood because bamboo is actually a grass and not a wood. Ironically, as demand for bamboo has grown many forests in south-east Asia have ended up being cut down to make way for bamboo plantations. This reality can hardly be interpreted as protective of trees and forests.

In addition there have been many questions about herbicide and pesticide use on these plantations, as well as the use of urea formaldehyde glues in the making of bamboo ply. And this doesn't negate other questions having to do with issues of fair labour practices in the growing, harvesting and processing of bamboo as a material.

In recent years these issues have been addressed with the introduction of FSC certification to the bamboo marketplace.

Given this availability of FSC certified bamboo that is also NAUF and CARB2 compliant I decided in early 2010 to prototype a custom made version of the Ellipse II Table crafted exclusively from carbonized bamboo plywood.

The sculpted cone base was made from stacked laminated bamboo ply sheeting that was milled and sanded to achieve its final shape. The top was made from a full sheet of bamboo ply, with the corner offcuts being used to make the built up aprons for the undercut bevel edge.

All surfaces were then sanded and rubbed in a low-VOC natural linseed oil finish. A scale model prototype of this table is shown below:



This table was unveiled at the Green Living Show in Toronto in April, 2010. It was during this show that its "green" credibility was put to the test when a woman suddenly dropped to her hands and knees to crawl around and sniff every exposed surface of the table.

When I asked what she was doing she said she was smelling for urea formaldehydes and VOCs. It turns out there were none to be found, and we apparently received the "green" housekeeping 'sniff of approval'.



Sustainable, Environmental, Eco Lifestyles, Healthy, All Natural, Home and Garden, Interior Design, Eco Friendly, Green Furniture, Green Furnishings, Green Designs, FSC Certified, Reclaimed Materials. Organic, LEED compliant, NAUF. CARB2, Bamboo, Natural Fibers. Non-Toxic, low-VOC, Non VOC, Natural Finishes.

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Ellipse II Table - The Story Behind its Creation

In 2002 I began to experiment with ideas on how to bend wood across complex three dimensional planes. In the course of doing this I inadvertently created a tapered elliptical cone shape that, at first glance, looked ideal for a dining table base.

After building a prototype of the cone my next challenge was making the top. After heeding advice to "keep it simple" I settled on a pure elliptical oval shape with bookmatched grain and flat edge apron. A 1" high stainless steel plinth was added to the underside of the base. The resulting table was finished in Tobacco Mahogany, and named the Ellipse Dining Table.



Although the resulting table looked OK, there was something about it that was just plain missing. What bothered me most was the finish - which was a basic chocolate/mocha/expresso brown. At the time this was a safe finish to use, because just about every professional in the interior design industry was using it in one form or another since it "went with everything".

One could probably credit Holly Hunt and Christian Liaigre with first introducing this look to the high end of the market in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, however, the finish was everywhere and I soon realized that to be the main problem. Namely, because of the finish this table was looking like everything else out there - even the cheap dross knock-offs that were now beginning to flood the market by the containerload from offshore.

By 2006 I decided to refine the design with some subtle changes. I began by using a wood called Nero Chaquiro, which is a lesser known species that comes from an FSC certified forest in Brazil. In addition to being certified as sustainably harvested the use of this wood also helps support an indigenous community living along the banks of the Amazon River by providing a tangible incentive for the peoples living there to manage their surrounding forest responsibly.

The main structure of the table was crafted out of FSC certified ply, which was also NAUF and CARB2 compliant due to the fact that there were no added urea formaldehydes in the glues and binders. To minimize the heaviness of the top the grain pattern was changed to sunburst and the edge profile became a deep undercut bevel. The stainless steel plinth was removed in lieu of a small convex inlay of Narra being added as a subtle detail. The resulting table was finished in a low-VOC water based urethane, and renamed the Ellipse II Table.





Taken together these changes created a more sculptural look to the design, and the response from the design community was tremendously positive. Our ability to custom tailor this design to meet the requirements of each individual client has since resulted in the Ellipse II Table becoming one of our most popular offerings today.

In October 2008 a custom commission of this table for interior designer Wendy Blount was even published in an issue of Metropolitan Home magazine.





Thanks to the positive response this article received, the table photo was subsequently republished in the book "Glamour: Making it Modern" by Michael Lassell.





Sustainable, Environmental, Eco Lifestyles, Healthy, All Natural, Home and Garden, Interior Design, Eco Friendly, Green Furniture, Green Furnishings, Green Designs, FSC Certified, Reclaimed Materials. Organic, LEED compliant, NAUF. CARB2, Bamboo, Natural Fibers. Non-Toxic, low-VOC, Non VOC, Natural Finishes.

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