I like to take a break sometimes from the exacting constraints of Fine Furniture construction and just have fun building my rustic furniture and Cocoon Lamps. It also gives my a reason to get out in the woods.

 

I'm fortunate to live in an area of tree covered hills, streams and old limestone quarries with willow and poplar in great abundance. They're strong, lightweight, easy to work with and are the primary materials for my rustic furniture. I use poplar when I need a strong frame on which to fasten the willow, otherwise I try to use just willow. Because I'm a believer in forest stewardship, I am delighted to know that if I cut the willow close to the ground, it will send up shoots the next year and so I have a self sustaining crop for future projects

 

There are times when I'm in the woods to harvest materials and there are times when I want to walk with my wife Judy and go birding. We like to walk in the silence, enjoying nature and study the various shapes of trees. It's window shopping with mother nature. Walking in nature's majestic cathedral of trees is truly an experience.

 

I design and build my furniture using the concepts of Ergonomics. I've sat in many  uncomfortable pieces of rustic furniture with perfectly flat seats and straight backs, I didn't sit for long. I prefer to build mine so you'll want to sit on them. I slope the seats at a restful incline and the curved backs have good lower back support. I build mine using trim head screws instead of nails. Nails tend to loosen, pull out and expose the heads to our clothes, arms and legs.

 

                                                                                                   James Krenov

Ambient (noun) : An encompassing atmosphere.

 

The idea of this lamp is to fill an area with a soft glowing light, creating an atmosphere of warmth and peaceful serenity. Each lamp is handcrafted using the natural shape of a tree for a rustic lamp or I can design a more contemporary lamp using the customers ideas or requirements. The color of the lamps glow can vary by making the lamps shade (cocoon) out of different colors of paper. Along with free-standing floor and table lamps, these lamps can be incorporated into chairs, tables, settees and other various pieces. The combination of tree shape (for rustic) or wood variety (for contemporary) and varieties of paper colors available, make the design possibilities for the lamps almost unlimited.

 

Once the design has been selected, a quote including the price of the furniture and/or lamp with shipping (if necessary) will be sent to you for final approval. Depending upon my schedule, the rustic furniture and lamps may take approx. 6-8 weeks to complete and are shipped via courier or pick-up can be arranged. 50 % of cost is due at start of the project and balance is due upon completion, prior to shipping or at pick-up.