This past semester I went on a study abroad to Ireland. If you’ve been to Europe, you know that every town you visit has its own cathedral, and many of them are considered gothic, or gothic revival, style. My idea for the final project is to create an end table in the gothic style. I will incorporate the tall arches, quatrefoils, and other gothic revival patterns into my design.
Some examples of Gothic, or Gothic Revival architecture I saw in Europe. From top left to bottom right: Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik. Tower Bridge, London. St Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry. Bordeaux Cathedral and Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux. St. Patricks Cathedral, Dublin.
For my dynamic element I wanted to include a hidden keyway that opens up one side of the table. This is inspired by all the secret passageways and catacombs that these old churches always seem to have.
This is just a quick sketch I did of some ideas. The top to show i’d like to have some shelves, while also being able to open the whole side. The bottom shows a rough design I was thinking of. For material I would like to have the tabletop and legs be made of a solid wood for structure. Then on the sides I was thinking of having a 2 layer system. With my design I would (most likely) laser cut into a sheet of plywood, and use a second sheet for depth. I also plan on using a lighter colored wood, and staining the whole thing dark to match the Gothic aesthetic. This way I can ensure even color without needing to find a specific wood. My next steps are narrowing down my designs and looking into materials and fabrication processes.
Image credits: https://www.artisansofthevalley.com/pf_tb_page4.shtml, http://www.faccents.com/item811.html
These are some designs I am taking inspiration from at the moment. I really like the design of the first table with the pointed arches and quatrefoil. I have never made furniture before so I will be doing more research into how to construct stable furniture, and how you traditionally fasten all the pieces together.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Revival_architecture
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture
2 Comments. Leave new
This is such an interesting aesthetic to gain inspiration from! I love the ideas that you already have for how you’re going to make it as well. Are you planning on designing all the pieces to fit into each other to limit the use of visible screws? Or even maybe incorporate some colors in your arches to pay homage to stained glass?
Brandon, great post. It’s cool to see that you were able to bring your real-world experience as reference for your project. It seems like you have a good understanding of the gothic aesthetic, and have thought out how you’re going to make your project embody that style. About what size are you thinking for your end table?