Dylan Di Tommaso, Hallway Table (STUDENT 2025)

Student:

Secondary

Name of school or tertiary institution, name of woodworking teacher (if you have one), and name of photographer:

Bossley Park High School. Teacher - Mr Matthew Medcalf. Photographer - Mr Matthew Medcalf

Country

Australia

For my HSC major project, I was heavily inspired by the elegant and unique Omega table that was made by the world famous Australian Furniture maker, Darren Oates as well as the bespoke Australian Furniture maker Nick Pedulla and his Vigne bench. In order to make the piece more personal and really highlight my abilities I decided to tackle my hardest challenge yet in my furniture making career. The timber used was american black walnut and american cherry to create a premium feel and truly push my project to that next level. The use of steam bending and lamination to create the intricate leg curves were directly inspired by the same method that Darren Oates implemented into his Omega table. Steam bending and lamination was also used to create my custom walnut handle which was directly inspired by the Vigne bench by Nick Pedulla. Another technique that I decided to tackle and implement into my hallway table is the use of parquetry. I used american black walnut, white oak and Zebra wood to make the geometrical pattern come to life through the use of the contrasting colours that seamlessly blend together elevating the inside of my drawer. Another method that I used to really push my project over the edge was the breadboard end that served multiple purposes. Not only was it a necessity to allow for the seasonal movement of timber as it expands and contracts, but also to make the otherwise simple table top another stand out feature of the table to really increase the aesthetic value of my hallway table. The final technique that I decided to tackle and implement into my project was the hand cut dovetails. With the legs being curved, it created a unique challenge for me that I had to overcome and I decided to really put my skills to the test and make dovetails by hand. My Hallway table that was inspired by two of the best Australian furniture makers directly reflects my journey as a wood worker through school. With some mistakes here and there I am overall extremely proud of my efforts and believe that I have made a project for me.

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