Furniture Design and Construction: Classic Projects and Lessons of the Craft by Graham Blackburn

Furniture Design and Construction: Classic Projects and Lessons of the Craft by Graham Blackburn

While Furniture Design & Construction is a project book for woodworkers, it goes beyond traditional woodworking manuals to teach design concepts through carefully selected, hands-on pieces. This book is for the woodworker who is not content merely to build from preset plans; instead, it offers projects that will show how the designs originate and take shape, giving the maker the freedom to build anything, with or without plans. The book presents a dozen different pieces of furniture, each illustrated with detailed line drawings. Every project exemplifies a different lesson in design—making the book a self-teaching course in woodworking and furniture design for amateurs and experienced woodworkers alike.

Graham Blackburn was born and educated in London, England, then lived for several years in Cologne and Madrid before moving to New York to continue his studies at the Juilliard School. While pursuing a career as a professional musician that saw him play in numerous bands, including Van Morrison, he built his own home and several others -- in Woodstock, NY. His first book, Illustrated Housebuilding, was published in 1974. Since then, in addition to operating a custom furnituremaking shop in California and New York, and lecturing and teaching at major craft and art schools and woodworking shows across the US, he has been a long-time columnist for Popular Woodworking and a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking. He has also served as editor-in-chief of Woodwork magazine.