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The Design Process The designs pictured in our website represent the formidable effort of many talented people determined to bring objects of lasting beauty into existence. Early in 1999, we began the process that ultimately produced the new line of Series 2 designs. Our sales staff, Lee Auchincloss and Elaine Thomson, presented a wish list of requests and comments from thousands of conversations with our collectors, visitors to our showroom and catalog viewers. From this, we compiled a list of the most requested designs to decide which pieces to add to our portfolio. We all felt strongly that any new design should offer a distinct style, yet be compatible with our earlier work--an evolution, not a revolution. Over the next year, I began sketching ideas in my design journal, a hard cover drawing book always at my side. Eventually, I was ready to put down my pen and sketchbook to begin prototyping in our woodworking shop. Even after all that preparation, in the shop, another kind of discovery process began. One quiet Saturday, I was experimenting with various ways to create a curved edge to a tabletop. In the midst of grinding down one of my unsuccessful attempts, I noticed that something very interesting was beginning to happen. I started playing with a sequence of straight and curved saw cuts. After five or six experiments, I had managed to create a curved edge with a second beautiful curve underneath that transformed the sense of the tabletop's thickness. This double curving edge soon became the unifying theme of our Series 2 designs. The rest of the new designs began to flow rapidly. Greg Martin produced the prototypes almost as quickly as I could draw them and made many contributions that improved upon my ideas. Design is an open process in the shop and everyone, from woodworkers to salespeople, is encouraged to express opinions about the prototypes. I also value comments from our customers, so prototypes are displayed in our Portland showroom and opinions are sought. Among the new Series 2 designs are several pieces that respond to the many requests we have received over the years for home entertainment furniture. Housing today’s electronics is a problematic challenge. I have long been dissatisfied with the solutions I have seen in the marketplace. Oversize cabinets attain barn-like proportions to house the large format televisions, often becoming bigger eyesores than the equipment they are attempting to conceal. The focus for the design of the S2 Media Armoire and S2 Media Credenza was to integrate functional and aesthetic needs while reducing the massive scale that seems to be the standard. At first, I resisted the idea of having to enclose the television set by exploring various ways of displaying it as an object not to be ashamed of. Unfortunately, the reality is that the appearance of the TV when not in use is not normally part of the purchasing decision. Thus hiding unfortunate design becomes a necessary part of the function of the furniture. Two design solutions emerged over time. The Media Armoire efficiently encloses a wide selection of the larger format televisions, and a new simplified hinge design allows the doors to open and slide into the cabinet for excellent screen visibility. These units can weigh in at 250-plus pounds, so attention had to be paid to the structural demands of supporting this load. Starting with massive 1 3/4”-thick solid cherry legs and 1”-thick interior rails and supports, the case is the strongest we have ever built. The Media Credenza was conceived for openly displaying both the new generation of flat-screen monitors and the high-design conventional tube sets that are less embarrassing to have in full view. Both units have an array of functional features that significantly improve the set-up and wiring of the electronic components. Removable back panels and interior wire management access portals allow for the wiring to be performed once the components are in position. Close attention was paid to the appearance of the entertainment cabinets. Visually, the designs are successful in that they do not consume huge amounts of living space and the softened lines of the doors and top make the cabinet feel less massive. As our company grows, design is becoming more and more a collaborative process. I have come to believe this is the most creative and effective way to maintain a standard of excellence everyone here feels responsible for upholding. Most important, we hope you enjoy the latest collection from Green Design Furniture. Douglas Green
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