On Apr 13, 8:35 pm, Tom Watson wrote:
On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 RicodJour wrote:
On Apr 13, 5:20 pm, Tom Watson wrote:

{massive blog snipped}
I edited to highlight the pertinent parts in your original post.
You're welcome!

When I got out of the business I had an idea to concentrate on making
high end desks for corporate executives and such.

I'd rather hear some considered opinion, not muddied by any initial
direction from me.

The only thing that I will say is that my intent is to go into a
nonexistant market, where price is not a consideration and design and
execution is everything.

Nakashima type minimalism is a non-starter.

Modern, or anything that is more glass and metal than wood - is
anathema.

Functionality is key but it can't conflict with the heirloom
possibilities of the piece - i.e. I don't want to include tech stuff
that has a half life of Moore's Law or less.

I can tell you that over extension drawers are a requirement but the
hardware can not show.

I can tell you that fit outs for printers and scanners, etc. are
required but the fittings must be as nonspecific as possible.

I'd like to hear about woods and shapes, veneer v. solid, desk v. desk
and credenza, show hardware v. invisible hardware, security features,
exposed v. hidden joinery, wire handling, adjustable desk top height,
adjustable keyboard height, keyboard slideouts that don't look like
keyboard slideouts, finishes, secret booze compartments, secret
compartments in general, ball feet, bun feet, ball and claw feet (of
all styles), hanging files v. manila files, panic buttons, autolift
compartment functions, KD ability, full extension drawers without
visible hardware, pop up two sided flat screens, included speaker
cabinets, stand up desks, drawer divider systems, selling the green
desk, reconfigurable solutions of modular elements, what makes this
desk special, roll tops, secretary desks, totally tambour, ...

You get the idea.

Yes, you're looking for an unpaid research assistant. ~

I'm trolling for the coolest stuff to include and what to specifically
exclude.

The desk I have in the shop now is very traditional. It has a
rectangular top, two file drawers, four additional flanker drawers, a
pencil drawer with a secret document compartment - and a price of
twelve thousand dollars.

(hand selected solid cherry - flamed on top and front, turned and
fluted quarter columns and legs, bun feet, rubbed lacquer finish, all
hand cut joinery.)

I know this Rec to be a fetid swamp of ideas.

I'd like to hear them.

Is seeing them okay?
http://shoportunity.net/wooton02.JPG
A Wooton desk - the one in the picture is for sale for $200K

And a variation:http://www.bargainjohn.com/images/F8...esk_best_a.jpg

Even the Canuckistadians had 'em:
http://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/uploaded...um/The_Museum/...

You have a flawed concept of Normal.

You have a flawed concept of courtesy. At no point did you ask for
Normal or even normal. Then again, I didn't ask for courtesy in a
reply so maybe I shouldn't be surprised I didn't get it.

If normal is what you're trying to do, why do you even need any input
at all? Why do you need input on what _woods_ to use? I'm glad I
didn't add anything on ball vs. bun feet, as you asked - I don't think
I could have weathered the scorn.

You ask for input on something different for some deep pocket people,
something special, and that's exactly what I posted. If nothing else,
you can get an almost unlimited number of ideas from the exuberance of
a Wooton desk.

R