Book Update...

My recent book has been updated. Same content, same number of pages, but structure is different. Writing this book has made me go back and recall accomplishments, failures and the struggle of being a furniture maker in today's disposable society. Received print copies this week and it looks great! There is an eBook version available at the web site also. Orders are welcome through www.woodskills.com . Updated this post with cover from new book. Below is a description of the book.

Norman Pirollo, successful founder of White Mountain Design, White Mountain Toolworks, Refined Edge Design, WoodSkills and Pirollo Design, chronicles his fascinating journey of transitioning from full time employment to self-employment at woodworking. He faced many obstacles throughout the journey and financial support was often at the forefront.

Norman narrates his creative journey from childhood through adulthood. Perseverance, fate and critical decisions all combined to map out the direction he followed in life. Often seeking creativity and challenges in life, woodworking ultimately became his creative outlet. Follow the riveting story of how his hi-tech career gradually evolved into a successful woodworking career. He owes a great deal to his former hi-tech career which provided him fulfillment for a number of years. Discover how Norman acquired the skills and techniques to be able to craft heirloom furniture today. Delving into and studying the history of furniture design has provided him the language and background to develop his own contemporary styled furniture. Read how he immersed himself into the contemporary furniture world to develop a style and voice of his own. Find out how, through twists and turns, Norman acquired the expertise and proficiency to become an award-winning furniture maker. The opportunity to work at something he truly enjoys has ultimately brought solace and independence to his life. 

Scale models (maquettes)

The aXial Lounge Chair began as a sketch , drawings and a series of maquettes or scale models of the design. I typically sketch a design , then draw it either in pencil or through CAD software. This provides me the feasibility of the design... is it appealing? is it structurally sound? is it innovative?  I work through the design process and flesh out the final design using an iterative process. The design needs to be elegant, aesthetically appealing and sometimes innovative. 

In this case I introduced innovation into the aXial Lounge Chair through the X-pattern frame. Developing the design is an enjoyable process as I make an effort to reduce the number of components or finesse them while maintaining strength in the design. Chairs have a unique process since they need to endure different stresses as well as being aesthetically pleasing. You can see the progression in the size and detail of the scale models in the attached image. The next step is a full size scale model and drawing of the main components of the design. Full size drawings enable me to accurately create the components through repeatability.

aXial Hi-back Lounge Chair

A glimpse of the new aXial Hi-back Lounge Chair I will be introducing at IDS15 in Toronto from Jan. 22-25. It is a contemporary styled hi-back lounge chair which features a unique X-pattern frame. The innovative X-pattern frame eliminates the need for rails and stretchers creating a modern aesthetic in a refined, sleek appearance. The Canadian designed + handcrafted aXial lounge chair will be available in a variety of woods including walnut, maple, birch, cherry and ash. Seat and back upholstery is available in selection of fabrics or top grain leather in a large selection of colors. Shown is a solid walnut chair with top grain white Italian leather seat and back.

Dimensions: 38 in. H x 27 in. D x 22 in. W

Lounge Chairs

I’ve been steadily working on the development of a new series of lounge chairs. These lounge chairs have unique design characteristics which have involved considerable design and development to get right. I am glad to say that the production version is currently having finish applied and I’m pleased with the design.

Design considerations such as rigidity, strength, ergonomic concerns, aesthetic criteria and contemporary design have all come together in this lounge chair. Early prototypes can be seen in this photo. The design has since evolved and become more refined. The series of prototypes were essentially mules to be able to test for optimum seating heights, depths, angle, etc.