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Design Criticism: Spanish Jewelry Box
Shall we turn this into a regular event, called Nitpick Fridays?
By Rain Noe - Apr 13
This is one of those objects that I find beautiful in one configuration, yet ugly in another. While beauty is a subjective thing, I wanted to go over the object with you and see if we can come to some agreement about universal aesthetics (if such a thing exists).
Here's the object in question. It's a jewelry box, and according to the manufacturer it's an old design that they discovered in a Spanish furniture maker's archives and put back into production.
Enter a caption (optional)I think it looks great when it's open.
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Enter a caption (optional)I particularly like the way that they've sculpted the side wings.
Enter a caption (optional)The problems begin for me when it's all closed up, which is presumably the configuration it would most often be seen in.
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Enter a caption (optional)1. I appreciate that this is built primarily out of solid wood (except for the bottoms of the drawers, which the manufacturer says is made out of plywood), but:
Enter a caption (optional)I find the discontinuity of the grain (pieces A thru E), particularly the change in color tones, jarring. Obviously this will differ in each one they produce, but the fact that this is the one they chose to photograph tells me color matching is not a priority.
Enter a caption (optional)2. I would prefer that the front face of this be all surface F, so that we are not sending endgrain G. I realize that G is left exposed and protruding in order to provide finger purchase to open it, and I typically prize function over aesthetics, but not in this case. To me, curves H and I deserve not to be broken by the seams there. I might have reduced the lid protrusion to a narrower fingerhold that sets into a slot, rather than having the entire width of the lid exposed like that.
Enter a caption (optional)3. I find the difference in grain between surfaces F and J jarring as well. I realize there is no practical way to cut F and J from the same board, but I might have gone with a markedly different, complementary tone between the two rather than have them so close in tone that you notice the difference in grain.
Enter a caption (optional)4. I could take or leave this rise, K. I think it breaks the line of that "headboard" unpleasantly, but I can see how some people would like it.
All of this criticism aside, I am glad that they did go to the trouble to make it from solid wood, as problems 1 and 3 could easily have been solved with veneer-over-plywood, which I am really growing to hate.
Your take?
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
7 Comments
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To solve 1 and 3 with solid wood will require a tremendous amount of production waste. The fact they are not wasteful with resources makes 1 and 3 not an aesthetic problem but only enhances the aesthetic.
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" all closed up, which is presumably the configuration it would most often be seen"
If the jewelry user in my household had it all closed up, I would assume that she is on death's doorstep and is setting all her affairs in order.!Report as spam -
The bottom is pretty clearly solid wood, not plywood. Look at the end grain in the top picture, you can see those are grain lines, not glue lines. I think the only plywood used are the drawer bottoms.
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It’s not that I object to the plinth form, just mixing exposed plywood edges with solid hardwood.
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I like everything about this box, except for the visibility of the plywood bottom. If they recessed the base behind the front fascia and let the cool side hinges screen the bottom, I think it would be almost perfect.
I agree with David that the grain variations is an aesthetic and environmental benefit.!Report as spam -
I agree with 1, 2, and 3. The drawer front could have been bandsawn from the front panel by turning the top corners into arcs to echo the curve of the sides. Omitting a pull from the mirror makes it look like someone forgot something. But most egregious IMHO is the flat panel base. Not only does it make the whole unit look cheap, it also means that unless both the base and the surface it rests on is Perfectly Flat, the unit will rock, tip, spin, slide, or some combination thereof.
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They keep the rise "K" to support the lid mirror when open.
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