There's a lot going on here - grain patterns, angles, curves, proportions, sharp edges, soft edges, etc. Every element can add - or detract from the whole, and you have to see it in the chair to really see how it works. I kind of design as I go - not a very efficient method, I will admit, but it allows me to experiment and tweak things. I spend a lot of time just looking at these chairs dry assembled to see if something feels right esthetically. And of course, I spend time sitting in them to see if they feel right physically.

Nakashima style, cherry & maple. The back leg goes through the armrest.

I built this one for myself and painted the spindles black to match our parlor stove. All maple.

Cherry, with maple runners.