Coffee Table- Cube Furniture C

David Sears looks at a stack of cardboard boxes and sees a simple, yet elegant line of furnishings, while most people see ? moving boxes. David Sears Designs? debut line of furnishings, the ?Cube Collection?, sprang from just that, a cube cardboard box which became the basis for the five initial pieces. But it?s in the details of the specially-engineered construction and the materials, where Sears? U.S.-made pieces become symbols of modern eco-design: chic sustainability and high functionality within a high-end market.

?My inspiration for the collection is the cube, an inherently modular form,? said David Sears, whose background is in architectural design. ?The cube shape is the basis for all the pieces, it?s where the details and proportions were worked out, and where the design for the other pieces developed. In some cases the dimensions of the furniture were stretched to accommodate function but the concept in which the designs were developed was a modular system. I was focused on a highly efficient system that could be both functional and aesthetic in form. This is an architectural principal and one with which I have a long standing curiosity.?

The Collection is comprised of a coffee table, a console, a side table and two ?cubes?, all of which are customizable in color and scale. While many recent trends have favored curved styling, Sears? pieces celebrate fine design and careful proportions with an architect?s eye toward longevity and durability. The corner box joints, for example, emerge from a digital manufacturing technology, using a 5-axis cutter to create a connection with the plywood that is both structural and highlights the fine lines of the individual plys.

The materials Sears chose for the ?Cube Furniture Collection? were influenced by his architectural training and his gleaned engineering experience ?- knowledge attained during time spent in construction as well as being mentored by noted industrial designer Shaun Jackson. The collection uses 9-ply hardwood-core plywood, a premium version over the typical 3 to 5-ply cabinet grade plywood. His 9-ply selection provides fine veneer lines along the edge, accentuating the rectilinier forms. Aesthetically, the dyed sycamore doors highlight the geometry of the beargrass cube, big cube and the low console and the beargrass inlaid resin panels simulate the flow of the natural wood grain.

Through Sears? selection of what he calls ?architectural plywood? over traditional casegoods wood options, he is, in effect, elevating a material that has historically been considered a lower-end
material to the high-end market. The use of his plywood, a 9-ply and hardwood-core ply develops a signature detail in the alternating veneer pattern of the corner box joints and the exposed plywood veneer lines along the edges. The exposed birch and alder hardwood?core veneers along the edges reflect a fine level of detail and enduring design that directly reflects the finesse of Sears? designs.
Sears also keeps an eye on lowering the Collection?s environmental impact. Primarily, the production process [due to the 5-axis cutter technology] is an energy- and materials-efficient system. The maple, sycamore veneer and plywood are all FSC-certified. No toxic formaldehyde glues are used.

An experienced designer, Sears has been recognized by the prestigious Wallenberg Competition. He admires the structure and detail of architects like Norman Foster and Renzo Piano, and his earlier work in construction ? renovating period houses ? and woodwork led him to design furniture with clear modern forms. Sears showed a special credenza design with open steel frame at ICFF 2007 to launch David Sears Design.

David Sears Design, founded in 2006, is committed to modern furniture designs that are beautiful, intelligent and environmentally responsible. Principal David Sears brings superb design into homes and offices through furniture that connects people with their environments.

Sears is constantly exploring new materials and ideas, most recently - notions of modularity. He often takes his design cues from his wood ? eco-friendly and high quality, harvested from sustainably managed forests. His designs are marked by clear modern forms and striking connective joints.

Sears began his career in woodworking in California, where he renovated period houses in the San Francisco Bay Area and had a cabinet shop in the city. He then began building furniture, finding new approaches to design problems.

His interest in design led him to The University of Michigan School of Architecture, where his work was recognized at the prestigious Wallenberg Competition. While there, Sears studied furniture design with the accomplished industrial designer Shaun Jackson.

After graduation, Sears moved to Boston to pursue architectural design, working at Gund Partnership and Arrowstreet, Inc while continuing to design furniture.

In 2007, Sears was accepted into the Designed for Multiples exhibition at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City, where he showed his credenza design- a steel frame and panel drawered storage unit on casters.

Sears recently debuted his Cube Furniture Collection - a five-piece modern furniture collection that uses sustainably harvested wood and eco-friendly finishes. The collection is made of FSC-certified maple and high-quality 9-ply plywood that includes inner hardwood plys, and he uses signature details such as the alternating veneer pattern of the box joints along the outside corners and the use of architectural reveals in the construction.