Evolution of a Design

I've just finished up the shoe/mail/etc. organizer cabinet introduced in the last post. It has pattern-matched door and case panels, an upholstered seat and a drop-front mail organization area.

The overall look of the piece provides a great insight into how a design evolves over time, and from client to client.


The lineage of this design started many years ago with a CD storage piece I made for my own home.











That design resonated with a couple who had visited me during Open Studios over a number of years. They eventually commission an A/V component cabinet based partly on the look of the CD cabinet, with bits added to fit their needs. I used that cabinet on a postcard the next year, and that second generation of the design caught the eye of a previous client.






That led to this most recent piece, which uses some of the same visual language as the second version, but tailored to the new set of functional needs. Its great to see a design take on a life of its own and head off into new directions.







I wonder which piece might spark the next new fork in the conceptual road?