Childhood fantasies come alive on this custom wooden toy chest-Part I

As you may already know, Martin Pierce Hardware designs and produces not only beautiful and functional hardware but also manufactures bespoke furniture pieces that, in my humble opinion, are true works of art.  Take for example this toy chest that we designed for a very special client:

Just as it does with our hardware pieces, the design of this toy chest began with a set of very detailed drawings that Martin created.  It was necessary for him to create a scene for each side with different dancing animals as well as other whimsical touches like those incredible mushroom feet and the swallow pull on top.  Delightful!

This first photo shows how Martin uses a simple grid to scale up the animals to full size for proper proportion on the chest panels as well as scaling up the mushroom feet.

In this photo you can see the finished product.

Martin's inspiration was most likely memories of his childhood playing in the Perrywood area of Worcester that, while small, seemed to us as children to be quite a mysterious and magical place.

In our next post we will explain the choice of woods and the carving process.  And if you would like to view our entire custom furniture and hardware collection please visit us at www.martinpierce.com.

Look what's trending at Martin Pierce....

While we are well-known for our beautiful custom architectural hardware that is so popular with designers, architects and homeowners alike, we also enjoy it when a designer sources one of our custom furniture pieces for their discriminating residential clients or hospitality projects.  Our furniture collection includes unique and functional items such as dining tables, chairs, armoires, buffets and beds.  Speaking of beds, based on the orders we are receiving, they appear to be a very popular item these days.   And why not?  The bed is the focal point of the bedroom and will set the mood for the entire room.    Trending today: The Rickshaw Bed

If you are looking to add an exotic and sophisticated feel to a bedroom with a touch of Asian influence, our Rickshaw bed is just the thing.  Crafted of solid walnut with hand-carved details, we allow the natural shades and grain of the wood to shine through with just an oil and lacquer finish; no stain is used.  A light and airy feel is achieved through the use of reed in the headboard and footboard.  This reed is literally woven by hand through small holes drilled in 1/2 inch intervals--very labor intensive but the final effect is stunning!

The Rickshaw bed is available in standard queen, eastern and western king and, of course, custom sizes when necessary.  You can view this bed at the lovely Gaul & Searson Showroom located in the San Francisco Design Center.  Doug Searson and Joseph Gaul have created a classic high-end showroom that caters to the design professional with a discriminating clientele.  Several Martin Pierce furniture pieces are on display in the showroom.