Amy Short, Cadillac Rocking Chair (STUDENT 2021)

American White Oak, 570mm X 1070mm X 1000mm. With the brief to design and make a chair as our term 3 project under the tutorage of the rocking chair master - David Haig, I instantly wanted to tackle a rocking chair with steam bent elements. I started the design process playing around with different shapes for the legs and evolved the piece from there. It was important to me that the rocker felt inviting and robust - not a piece you needed to delicately lower yourself into. By angling the large legs in the right way, it gives the rocker the impression that it’s welcoming you with open arms, and when you sit in it, you feel like it’s hugging you. This is enhanced by the laminated lumber support which also prevents the rocker from racking. This lumber support also ties all elements of the rocker together so it becomes a cohesive piece. Throughout the piece there are subtle details like the back rails being dovetailed to the seat, or the bridle join of the back rails to the cresting rail that add a little bit more character to the piece.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.