A major project in 2003 was the design and manufacture of furniture for a weekend cabin in Northern California. The overall design philosophy for the cabin was to construct furniture that was elegant, sturdy and in keeping with the off-the-beaten-trail location of the cabin. The interior finishes in the cabin are wood posts, beams and re-sawn wood paneling. The furniture design introduced subtle curves without competing with the architecture. In keeping with the overall theme of the cabin, the furniture was constructed from re-claimed wood. In its prior life this white oak served for 100 years as beams and rafters in Ohio barns.

Dining Room Set

The Dining table needs to serve daily duty as a 6-seat workhorse as well as be able to expand to seat a dinner party of 10.
 

 
  • The oak top is built from 3- 2 1/2" thick solid planks that were sawn from a single beam.
  • Mortise's and peg holes from the barn construction were left exposed or plugged with wood where necessary to keep table contents from falling through.
  • The table leaves "plug in" from the ends by means of steel pins and brackets mounted discreetly to the underside.
  • The crossed stretcher design gives the structural integrity needed, while minimizing interference with the diner's legs.
  • A seating bench is a fun and functional alternative to chairs.
  • The chair backrests are sawn from a single plank of oak and have hand hold slots to make them easier to grasp and move.

 

 

Game Table and Chairs

One of the significant features of the cabin is solitude and escape from the modern world. Games and books are the primary form of indoor recreation. For this purpose we designed a game table with a reversible / removable top.

  • One side of the top is plain and smooth for playing cards.
  • The flip side of the top has a checker / chess board of contrasting wood squares and when the top is removed and set aside there is a recessed backgammon court.
  • The backgammon court is also made of contrasting woods as on the checker / chessboard. The darker wood used is wenge, an African hard wood.
  • The game table can be used as a second smaller dining table.
  • The armchairs are the same design as the dining side chairs.
  • The seats are slightly larger for comfort.
  • For dinner parties of 6 or more they are used with the dining table.

 

 

Kitchen bar stools

  • Reversed taper design.
  • Designed for heavy usage.
  • Hold slots on the seats make it easier to move the chairs around.

 

 

Children's Loft Dresser

  • Tapered profile for visual interest.
  • Reclaimed oak with mortises and peg holes.
  • Hand made wrought iron hardware.
  • A stepping stool allows a child to get into the upper drawers.

 

 

Master and Guest Bedroom Sets

  • Platform frame with a headboard.
  • The foot board legs and aprons are slightly inset from the perimeter of the mattress giving the mattress an "over stuffed" look.
  • The headboards are rustic wood frames with heavy woven leather strapping for a western look and feel.
  • The nightstands are rustic oak with a single drawer and one open shelf.

 

This Charles Freeborn Design • Build furniture was featured in the May/June issue of Western Interiors magazine. Click on the cover to see the cabin mentioned above and the custom furniture inside: