Intro to Furniture

Instructor: Barbara Holmes
SF / FURNT–100 / 15 sessions
Prerequisite: none
$25 materials fee
July 11 & 12, Thurs. & Fri., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 15-25, Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 29-August 2, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Final Crit: August 12, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of woodworking and its application to furniture. Topics covered in detail include the care and use of hand tools, hand power tools, and larger woodworking machinery; fundamental techniques such as carving, shaping and finishing; joinery technology, construction processes and conventions; basic furniture design and wood technology. Processes are demonstrated and mastered through a series of "hands-on" projects. There is an emphasis on precision, the development of craft skills and the concept of "physical" as well as intellectual learning. This course provides the basic knowledge and experience necessary for intelligent use of the machine room facilities at SFCCA and is recommended for any students wishing to use this facility regularly. It is also a great chance to make "real things" out of "real materials". Additional materials fee will be charged.

Note: A wood assistant will be available during studio access hours to assist enrolled students with their projects: 5–8 p.m., Tues./Thurs., July 15–August 1; 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat., July 20 & 27.

Wood/Furniture Techniques: Soft

Instructors: Mary Little, Peter Wheeler
{Visiting Artists from Connecticut}
SF / FURNT–312 / 15 sessions
Prerequisite: none
$40 lab fee payable at registration
August 5–23, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
This studio focuses on contemporary upholstery techniques applicable to creating prototypes for large-scale production, producing editions, or making one-of-a-kind pieces.

Upholstery is not straightforward or simple, though the best pieces may look that way. The process is multi-skilled and multilayered. An understanding of the whole process is essential for a designer to accomplish his or her goals. In class, each student designs and constructs an ottoman for a particular interior and develops innovative design concepts appropriate to the context. During showroom visits, students learn about the technical construction of contemporary furniture and the selection of upholstery fabrics. Upon completion of the course, each student will have a well-made contemporary piece, a new skill set, knowledge of contemporary upholstery and exposure to a wealth of experience in European and North American furniture design.

The class is open to designers who want to learn or practice hands-on design skills as a method of design development. Students from majors such as Architecture, Fashion Design, Furniture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, and Textiles are welcome.

Note: A wood assistant will be available during studio access hours to assist enrolled students with their projects: 4–6 p.m., Mon.–Fri., August 5–22 (excluding the final Friday) and Saturdays, August 10 & 17, 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

This course satisfies a studio elective or Wood/Furniture requirement.

Mary Little and Peter Wheeler are partners in bius, originally established in London in 1997 and re-located to New Haven, Connecticut in 2005, they return to the Bay Area each summer to teach this upholstery design workshop. Formerly adjunct professors at CCA, they each have over 20 years experience in designing and producing unique, high-end furniture for the residential, corporate and public arts markets. The studio has recently begun to design innovative furniture for production. This spring they launch their latest collection of seating and tables, for the corporate market, at NeoCon, Chicago. Their furniture can be found in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Vitra Design Museum, Basel; the Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris; and the Museo de las Artes Decorativas, Barcelona, among others.

Over the years bius has developed a unique expertise in upholstery derived from contemporary production techniques with an inspirational root in semi-soft artifacts from a breadth of cultures, such as ancient Eastern costume, medieval European headwear, and contemporary sportswear.