I think I'm going to puke. No offense intended... different strokes
and all. My tastes in furniture run traditional and conservative. The
curvy, whacked out modern art masterpieces I see in some of the
woodworking magazines are definitely not my flavor. And any piece
that's described using the phrase "kidney bean" certainly falls in
that category. I suppose one man's art is another man's WTF?

Joe Barta

LOL. Puke, aye? I agree with you Joe. I am also a traditionalist and
conservative. Many of my pieces are made direct from the log, not from
purchased lumber. I am often enfluenced by nature's art (Wildlife
Biology major), not by some picture in a magazine. Where, in nature,
do you see a straight line? I also work with driftwood pieces. The
Mississippi River delta area often has some fantastic driftwood pieces
to offer. The eroded/worn pieces are often already "sanded" relatively
smooth for me. I try not to have straight lines or sharp edges on my
pieces. I like my own milled lumber's edges to be the natural side of
a log. I do not delve in the artsy fartsy stick type furniture,
either, except to make some yard decor, etc., with scraps, on
occassion. I don't like to throw wood in the trash heap, so I try to
make something with everything.

The kidney bean reference (for lack of a better immediate description)
is a variation of a rectangle, but slightly curved, allowing for a
smooth flowing piece. The idea, of my suggestions, was to experiment
with shapes, other than common shapes. The tier shaped reference is
based on a driftwood piece I once saw..... woodsy, simple, yet
elegant....not resembling modern art at all. I've made a few tiered
pieces. And yes, they do have a flavor all their own.

I highly suspect many of us posters, here, have similar ideas about our
furniture and other in-home decor likes and dislikes. Modern art is
not my style, either.