Miles Clifford, Lullaby (FURNITURE 2025)

Photos:

Matt Lacey

Country

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

The piece I am submitting, named ‘Lullaby’, is a cabinet on a stand. Its dimensions in mm are: H1550; W500; D333, and is predominantly made from solid maple and masur birch veneer which I find to be very complimentary. This is due to the closeness of the colour match between the two timbers, which creates a visual harmony and continuity, connecting the parts to form the whole. The contrasting figuring between the calmness of the maple and the striking wildness of the birch on the other hand, achieved the kind of dynamism I was after to offset the colour match. For details, I used other materials including cedar drawer bottoms, brass hardware and leather pads. I wanted to create a sensory experience for the user. As the user grasps the delicately shaped handles and opens a drawer, they are struck firstly by the smooth feel of the piston fit, followed by the distinctive smell of cedar. The elegant gold of the brass compliments the style of the piece as a whole and the leather pads upon which the cabinet sits, and which stop the doors, mute the sound and allow it to exist harmoniously in a space. Other details, including visual breaks such as shadow gaps and steps, exemplify an attention to detail in both the design and making that were paramount to my ambitions for ‘Lullaby’. When designing ‘Lullaby’, I wanted it to feel modern and fresh whilst adopting a traditional approach. Contrast acts as a continuous theme throughout the piece. It combines crisp, straight lines with gentle curves. Together they create a balance between sharpness and softness which I find to be effective. The precarious feel of a robust cabinet resting on a delicate under-frame, the hardness of maple clashing with the softness of its sanded finish, are designed to entice the user, inviting them to engage with it from every angle. I wanted my design to elevate the wood, not distract from it. I chose to use blonde woods as I wanted the piece to have a lightness and femininity. I imagined the cabinet to be used to store special objects, so I set out to achieve a level of elegance which would make the cabinet a worthy ‘treasure-box’ – where each smaller object’s individual beauty can be displayed, complimented and heightened by their relationship with their container and the way they look together inside it.

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