In some pieces, you'll see the smooth-as-glass finish, protecting intricate patterns in the exotic wood. You expect them to be warm to the touch.
In other pieces in which the natural flaws of the wood were exploited and objectified, you know there would be contrasting textures of worm holes, rough saw cuts, dings and even arrested rot ... if you could only run your fingertips across the tempting surfaces.
But you can't — at least you shouldn't. Read the little signs: “Please Do Not Touch.”
McDunn knows people want to touch his heirloom/contemporary pieces of wood furniture; he knows touch is one of his biggest selling points. But selling the furniture is the point, and the hands of people who are just browsing have often accidentally damaged his goods, which, for many would-be buyers, carry sticker-shock prices. Consider that the least expensive item in the collection is the small Unibox made of maple: $190 and big enough for a few pieces of very nice and small jewelry.
The most expensive piece is the Walnut Corner Cabinet, with walnut exterior, cypress interior, solid brass hardware with platinum patina, and antique restoration glass. It sells for $8,600 and would hold grandma's good china quite nicely.
This is no place for hard-as-nails manicures or oily fingers.
Don't let the high-end prices keep you from seeing this exhibit. Even if you can't afford anything, there's plenty of satisfaction in just looking. The appreciation of handmade quality and unique design is free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the Chapman Cultural Center.
Admission is $4 per adult, $2 for students, and $7 for the whole family. The 22-piece exhibit is in town through Aug. 4.
The mix of mostly cabinetry and tables reflects McDunn's 30 years of woodworking experience in the Upstate. Some of the pieces are classic and traditional. Some are even reproductions of the finest work of the 1800s, such as the Kiawah Pine Huntboard (mortise-and-tenon pegged carcass; hand-cut dovetails; single-slab top, back, bottom and side panels; book-matched drawer fronts; hand-planed and scraped; shellac and oil finish — $7,800).
Top-quality materials and expert craftsmanship make this South Carolina-themed design better than the antique original. Other pieces reflect McDunn's personal, more contemporary style, such as the Sphere Table Cherry Crotch & Ebony that sits atop two giant silver-leafed balls ($3,800). What the market has taught him is to combine his personal taste with conventional demand to produce pieces he calls “heirloom/contemporary.”
In addition to making furniture designed to sell commercially and pieces that scratch his creative itch, McDunn and his Greenville staff of three do commissioned furniture based on clients' wants and needs.
One of the most eye-catching exhibits is the Lacquer Finish Lotus Table, which belongs to a friend and is not for sale. Instead of legs, this entry table stands on a series of bentwood slats that converge about a third of the way from the floor and flare top and bottom, leaving see-through open space in between. Because McDunn's friend is a woodcraftsman too, the perimeter of the tabletop is laser-inlaid with silhouettes of tools of the trade: hammers, nails, saws, etc. It is the sort of piece that is intriguing from afar and even more interesting up close.
Attention to detail is McDunn's hallmark, and he challenges potential customers to make long-term decisions when considering furniture. Sure, his work is expensive, but it will last more than a single lifetime and will only increase in value, unlike the mass-produced pressboard knockoffs of discount furniture warehouses. And when you make that investment in truly fine furniture, it will be yours to touch and to appreciate all the more.
Source: www.goupstate.com
California's Coronado named No. 1 U.S. beach - Asian Age
With Americans packing up for travel over the Memorial Day weekend, one coastal hot spot in Southern California is winning praise as the best U.S. beach in an annual ranking from a Florida professor.
San Diego's Coronado tops the list from 'Dr. Beach,' otherwise known as Stephen Leatherman, director of the laboratory for coastal research at Florida International University.
The 1.5-mile stretch of Coronado Beach is set against the historic Hotel del Coronado, on an island just across San Diego Bay from the city's downtown. It is reachable by ferry or water taxi.
"The beach is very flat, making it great for skim boarding and walking, and the sand has a silvery sheen because of the presence of mica," Leatherman's website said.
Coming in second on the list was Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The Dr. Beach website describes the destination as benefiting from a shallow offshore reef that protects swimmers from big waves, making it ideal for children.
The other destinations on Leatherman's Top 10 list are: Main Beach in East Hampton, New York; St. George Island State Park on the Florida panhandle; Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii; Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Waimanalo Bay Beach Park in Oahu, Hawaii; Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida; Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina; and Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Last year, the top destination on the list was Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida. The 2010 winner was Coopers Beach on New York's Long Island.
Leatherman has released his list of top coastal destinations every year since 1991. His criteria for judging a good beach include the width of the beach, the color of the sand, the slope, water temperature, frequency of rain, noise factors and the presence of lifeguards.
The full list for 2012 coastal destinations is available at drbeach.org.
Source: www.asianage.com
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