Customer Reviews

How to Construct Rietveld Furniture (Dutch Edition)

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Want to see the original drawings for the Red-Blue Chair? Or find a little-known fact about one of designs of Gerrit Rietveld that normally would require examination of an original or a long conversation with someone from Christies? And then, maybe, actually build the piece yourself? This is the book to get. It's not enclyclopedic, though, so make sure that what you are interested in is present in the 50-or-so works here. Also has some terrific old photographs of the workshop, original installations, lines, and advertising.

First, this book is written in both Dutch and English. Don't let the 'Dutch Edition'description put you off. The measured drawings are in millimeters and there is enough information to accurately build the furniture.

If you're used to building craftsman furniture, some of these pieces may seem minimalist and stark. If you give it a second look you'll find some absolutely beautiful pieces. The construction appears to be time consuming, but not all that difficult.

For some of the pieces (the 'Z' chair in particular) I would be sorely tempted to add modern materials, i.e. some Kevlar in the acute angles. Kevlar deals well with cycles of compression and expansion.

This furniture is a refreshing change from anything I've seen featured in U.S. woodworking magazines. It's different, it's lovely to look at (several pieces are displayed at MOMA in New York) and it doesn't look too challenging to build.

If you are into Rietveld and Modernist things, this is a great resource. Of course, the end product is almost purely worthless since they cannot be marketed (copyright still applies), sometimes involving a fair amount of effort, and are generally uncomfortable and a little fragile, but as objects, they are fantastic and great fun.

Would like to find a comparable book on the work of Max Bill.

This book (written in English and Dutch) is a great resource if you want to create Reitveld furniture and accessories. The drawings and instructions for over three dozen pieces are easily understood by anyone with well-developed woodworking skills. This work is not for beginners because fit & finish are of utmost importance in Reitveld designs-- and it takes time to develop the experience necessary to achieve good results. Most of these pieces can be built without power tools; but electric saws, drills, sanders, and a router will make the work faster and more uniform. If your paint skills are not up to par you should have someone available to execute this very important aspect of the work.