The Dysart Bench is one of the most interesting pieces I have designed and made. The customer wanted a bench to give his wife for their 30th anniversary. He also provided the primary material; weathered oak boards that had been recovered during the restoration of a home near Upperville, VA. The boards were significant because the home was once owned by George Washington.
The challenge was to design a piece that paid homage to the historical value of the material, as well as the sentimental value of an anniversary gift. I shaped smooth seats into the weathered boards, leaving the original weathered surfaces around the edges. The stretcher was made from the last two remaining boards, neither of which was long enough to make the full stretcher. So I made an oval connector, which became a “canvas” for marquetry to commemorate the anniversary.
Today the bench resides within an alcove in the foyer of the Dysart’s home. An alcove especially made to be the home for this special bench.