Alucius Turner, Mile End, South Australia

EmBrace Chair
750 h x 600 x 900mm

Materials
For the EmBrace chair I chose to work with American white oak. The timber was sourced from an aquaintance who was selling his kitchen/cabinet making business and had a surplus stock of American white oak. This timber was chosen for its durability, strength and grain features.

Joinery
The joinery I chose for this chair design is integral in both a structural and aesthetic sense. I used compound mortise and tenons, half lap joins and a solid floating feather system for the chair base attachments.

Glues
Megapoxy 69, 2 part epoxy glue.

Finishes
Two coats of self made furniture rubbing wax (beeswax, almond oil).
One coat of Gilly Stephenson’s Rose Cream old fashioned furniture polish.

Concept
The EmBrace chair is a contemporary take on the shaker style chair. The EmBrace chair is an exploration into the traditional joinery methods and purposeful aesthetic qualities of Shaker furniture. The overall design emanates from the rear leg join which acts as a three way conduit to the seat base, side rails, chair back rails and the rear leg/arm rests. With this chair I wanted to highlight the structure making it an integral aesthetic component. EmBrace chair is the embodiment of my obsessional refinement of form through the use of traditional making methodologies and the contemporary minimal aesthetic. This is the tale of the ensuing relationship between object and user. This design tells of the continuity of line and unity of form through intersecting and interlocking joinery highlighted by subtle compound angles. EmBrace chair imbues a rectilinear aesthetic enticing the user to recline, be embraced and contemplate the future state of now!

Photos: Alucius Turner