The Alice Table: Managing Visual Complexity

I completed the woodworking portion of the Alice Table two days ago, and posted a photo of the yet to be finished project. Someone pointed out to me that the table is really a table within a table. That person is correct. The two cross frames support an inner shelf, and that inner structure can be seen as a small table by itself.

The base of the table is made up of two side frames joined together by the two inner cross frames. The two inner frames fill space that would otherwise be empty in many other table designs, and often it is good to have empty or sufficient white space in a design. The inside cross frames though create a certain amount of visual complexity in addition to their practical function as simple structures that physically join the side frame assemblies together as well as support an inner shelf.

Yet the table appears unified because of repetition. Side and cross frames share the same fundamental architecture. The only difference besides being sized differently is in linear movement. The side frames extend from front to back while the cross frames extend from side to side. I designed each of the surfaces they support to convey that same linear movement through grain direction. The grain direction of the inner shelf runs its length from side to side to emphasize the same visual direction taken by the supporting cross frames. The grain direction of the teak panels and joining walnut rails of the table top runs from front to back to accomplish the same visual effect for the supporting side frames.

You might think that there could be tension created by using wood grain in this way. Similarly the two cross frames that fill the inner space could have contributed to a feeling of clutter. Not at all though. The design appears unified and well-proportioned, and does so because of effective use of repetition and linear movement. The table appears simple and foundational despite its relatively complex architecture.