"Ranchero Sideboard"

Chris Horney

"To make my work more refined, more delicate while functional, more elegant and beautiful - these goals inform the evolution of my work and enrich my life with both the process and the result."

From his shop in a converted tobacco pack house, Chris Horney builds handcrafted wood furniture that shows a respect for tradition while reflecting his own personal design sense. Things as diverse as acorns, tribal rugs, architecture, and Audrey Hepburn influence his designs.

Careful wood selection is key to establishing the feel and character of Horney's furniture. He looks for interplay between the wood types and tasteful contrasts, as well as good proportions.

Horney's designs are simple, delineated forms. But he achieves this result by first embellishing a piece: carvings and corbels, beading and bowfronts, inlays and arches. He then reduces these embellishments to get the simplest expression of his initial form - keeping a few striking details to accentuate the lines. His goals remain the same: subtle, sinuous forms, elegant curves and delicate details.

"I keep a quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery near my workbench. 'Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.' "