Cormorant Console Table

One of my more personally satisfying designs, the Cormorant console table design began with the hand-shaped, upright walnut “legs” and the rest fell quickly into place. The partially exposed and pegged joint/ junction of the curved top rail, end rail and the top of each leg suggested a bird-like quality which, in turn, led me to blacken the 5-foot long, elliptical tiger maple top, creating a subtle, feathery texture like the drying, outstretched wings of the table’s namesake.

A simple, straight stretcher was all that was needed and the elliptical shape of the angled end cuts effectively echo the larger positive and negative shapes above. The gaps within the split-sided uprights allow for wood movement but also serve as visual breaks in the mass.

Originally designed in 2013, a subsequent edition of the table was recently awarded for “best in furniture” and “outstanding craftsmanship” at The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s show “Maine Wood 2016” in Rockport, Maine. Wider but shallower than my Cirrus 3, the Cormorant is equally dramatic and deserves a prominent space along a wall or behind a sofa where its sculptural composition can be viewed from many angles.