Furniture of Necessity

The furniture of necessity is the furniture we built for ourselves; they are “straightforward, attractive and stout.” Christopher Schwartz; writer, furniture maker, publisher and tool maker, published The Anarchist’s Design Book detailing over a dozen of designs with modern styling centered in ancient techniques for constructing common furniture. Drawbore is offering these furniture designs as an off-the-shelf option for people who want simple, sturdy furniture.

Staked Low Stool

Furniture of Necessity Catalog

Base Build

The price sheet gives the base cost for each design, you get a nearly exact reproduction from the design book including materials and dimensions. That is to say if the book’s build calls for softwood (pine, fir, cedar etc..), such as for the book case carcass then it will be built with softwood. I am a base price kind of guy and would almost certainty be riding in this bicycle lane. There are a few aspects in some pieces that can easily and happily be altered. 

Alterations

  • Leg shape (octagonal, square, round)
  • Leg figure (Bulges, Coves)
  • Variety of wood species (substituting different types of softwood or hardwood species)
  • Finish details (Chamfered vs rounded edges, shellac vs oil vs wax finish, clear finish vs milk paint)
  • Coffins and plant stands are the only item where the base price includes altered dimensions

Semi-custom

You like everything about the slat bed but want a small head board attached, I can make that happen. The most common change is altering the dimensions of a piece, making a table top bigger or the boarded chest smaller. These changes often require more material, planning and labor, resulting in a different price. A great use of the semi-custom option is the bookcase, you can get perfectly fitted bookcases for a reasonable price.

Customizations

  • Any of the Base alterations plus…
  • Dimension changes
  • Design alterations (adding shelves, internal compartments)

Custom Build

You love the style and construction of the bookcase but you want it in solid oak with a glass door over the top shelf and slightly different dimensions, that is too many “wants” to fit in a semi-custom build, and you have gotten yourself into the territory of full custom furniture. Where is the line between custom and semi-custom? If I have to bust out 3D modeling because the changes are too significant to trust a mediocre drawing in my sketchbook. If you are interested in this option, please review the Process page to understand how it works.