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Funky Furniture Maker Nails The Creative Process

by Janine Boylan on January 14, 2013

Apple cabinet, showing imaginative result of the creative process

Apple cabinet © Straight Line Design

Judson Beaumont Thinks Outside the Box

Wooden furniture. It is solid, smooth, rigid. It may have level-straight lines or gently carved curves.

An inner voice reasons: There are limits to what you can build with wood, right?

Not according to Judson Beaumont. In fact, it appears that you can take a bite right out of his funky furniture.

Beaumont, owner and designer of playfully-named Straight Line Design, oozes with creative thinking. He learned early in his experience that you don’t have to do something just because it has always been done that way. Describing his creative process, he says, “I love it when someone tells me that ‘You cannot build that’ or ‘No one would want that.’ These words only encourage me more.”

His imaginative furniture certainly defies expectations, and it appears to defy physics.

But there are things you can’t do with wood. For example, everyone knows you can’t fold solid wood like an accordion.

Accordion cabinet, showing imaginative result of the creative process

Accordion cabinet © Straight Line Design

Oh, I see. It looks like you can.

Beaumont’s creative process begins simply with this: question the ordinary. While he ensures that each of his pieces is functional and may be based on some elements of tradition, he certainly is not bound by what has been done before.

Becoming a master of a craft is no small task, but pushing the limits to become uniquely creative takes his skill to a new level.

Ha! A new level! That sounds like furniture levitates or something!

Little Black Dresser, showing imaginative result of the creative process

Little Black Dresser © Straight Line Design

Oh, I see. It does. This Little Black Dresser seems to hang in space.

Beaumont had to learn to create furniture with dove joints and perfectly fitting pieces. But then he challenged himself to try unconventional, unexpected angles and figured out how to make a wooden cabinet appear to bend, fold, or explode.

Explode?

Boom Cabinet, showing imaginative result of the creative process

Boom Cabinet © Straight Line Design

Oh! I see. Cabinets can explode!

Beaumont tells more about his creative process, “My rule is: if you can draw and design it, you can build it.” And he has. His clever sketch became a canned bench.

Peel furniture sketch, showing role of design in the creative process

Peel furniture sketch © Straight Line Design

Canned bench, showing imaginative result of the creative process

Canned bench © Straight Line Design

Every one of Beaumont’s designs is functional. And beautiful. That’s what makes them doubly inspirational.

Furniture is functional. And solid. I know that furniture is solid.

Hollow chair, showing imaginative result of the creative process

Hollow chair © Straight Line Design

Oh, come on. How is hollow furniture possible?

Beaumont’s mantra for getting creative ideas: “Be influenced and inspired by the norm, and then challenge it, change it, melt it, stretch it, alter it for the better.”

Well, no matter what you do to it, one thing is certain: you can keep furniture in the house.

Bad Table, showing imaginative result of the creative process

Oh, I SEE! This Bad Table has to stay outside!

OIC that imaginative results come from a creative process that knows no limits.

What funky furniture would you have Beaumont design for you? Leave a comment below!

VIA Laughing Squid

Inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Janine Boylan 3 Comments

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Comments:

3 thoughts on “Funky Furniture Maker Nails The Creative Process”

anthonynixonfurniture.com on November 24, 2013 at 10:48 pm said:

Hello,
Also, there are more unique furniture that can be converted into a chair or a table, then it could also be used as closets or bookshelves. Development of creative furniture design can make you get more profits than the furniture.
Funny Girl on January 24, 2013 at 12:12 pm said:

I want a desk in the shape of a smile to inspire this funny girl.
- Janine Boylan on January 28, 2013 at 10:34 pm said:
  
  Judson Beaumont could easily do it!

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Funky Furniture Maker Nails The Creative Process

Judson Beaumont Thinks Outside the Box

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3 thoughts on “Funky Furniture Maker Nails The Creative Process”