We were cruising around YouTube the other day, checking out some woodworking posts, and came across this video created by Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers member Timothy Clark. Tim has a studio and workshop in the town of Waltham, just outside Middlebury, VT. If you’ve caught any of our past posts, we’ve referred to Tim on occasion as “Master of the Modern Windsor.” Clark’s cultivated a pretty remarkable following for his custom line of studio chairs, settees, and benches. They’re pieces that rely upon the traditional favorite form but incorporate Clark’s unique design and structural features. Called Waltham, for this great little town that Tim calls home.
The Windsor chair is an American classic, combining qualities of lightness, strength and grace; what Wallace Nutting called ‘an irresistible blend’ and what Clark has perfected and made his own. In the Waltham chairs, Tim replaced the shallow traditional Windsor seat with a shape he describes as “part surfboard and part stealth fighter” and the handcrafted ash spindles flex, allowing the back to be quite strong and comfortable all at once. Clark’s made many custom-to-client versions… extra tall backs, modified crest rails… as well as a Cod Rib line that marries Waltham features with another original design. We love the Cod Rib Rocker, inspired by boat building techniques, and whale bones and codfish encountered by the craftsman on a sailing trip to Newfoundland.
The video clip below is an “up close and personal” introduction to Tim’s process, shop, and maker style and showcases a mix of modern and traditional techniques.
Now that you’ve seen the process, you’ll probably want to check out the goods! Visit Tim’s PORTFOLIO on our site, take a TOUR OF HIS SHOP on the blog, and keep an eye out for his work at a couple of our favorite galleries, Edgewater in Middlebury, in particular. Thanks for watching, and supporting handmade!
