When it comes to designing and building a custom dining table, it’s important to consider several key factors to ensure that the final product perfectly fits your style and the needs of your space. Whether you’re looking for a large, farmhouse-style table to seat a crowd or a small, chic option for intimate meals, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind.
Size and Shape: The first and most important consideration is size and shape. You'll want to make sure that the table you design fits comfortably in your dining room and can accommodate your seating needs. Consider the number of people you’d like to seat and the size of your dining room when determining the size of your table. Additionally, consider the shape of the table, whether you prefer a rectangular, round, square, or oval shape, and make sure it complements the aesthetic of your space.
Material: The material you choose for your custom dining table will greatly impact its look, feel, and durability. Common materials used for dining tables include solid wood, engineered wood, glass, and metal. Consider the style of your dining room, your personal preference, and how you plan to use the table when selecting a material.
Functionality: Another important consideration is functionality. Do you need additional storage in your dining room? A built-in leaf or butterfly leaf table can expand to accommodate larger groups, while a table with a built-in lazy Susan or storage base can provide extra functionality. Consider the functionality you’d like your table to provide, and make sure it fits with the design you have in mind.
Finish: The finish you choose for your custom dining table can greatly impact its overall look and feel. A natural finish allows the beauty of the wood grain to show through, while a painted finish can provide a more modern or classic look. Consider the color scheme of your dining room and your personal style when selecting a finish.
Delivery and Installation: Finally, consider the delivery and installation process. Some custom dining tables are shipped in pieces and require assembly, while others come fully assembled. It's important to work with a provider who will handle the delivery and installation process carefully and efficiently, to ensure that your custom dining table arrives in pristine condition and is properly installed in your home.
At Contour Functional Art, we understand that designing and building a custom dining table is a big investment, and we’re committed to making the process as smooth and enjoyable as possible. By keeping these key considerations in mind, you can be confident that the custom dining table you design and build with us will not only be beautiful, but also functional and durable. If you have any questions or concerns, our team of experts are here to help and guide you every step of the way.
Legacy beyond Luxury
]]>Designing custom conference tables can be a crucial part of creating a professional and effective meeting space. In this post, we will discuss some tips to keep in mind when designing custom conference tables to ensure that they meet the needs of your organization.
Plan for functionality: When designing a custom conference table, the most important consideration should be functionality. Think about the types of meetings that will take place at the table and make sure that it is equipped to support those activities. For example, is there enough room for laptops and note-taking materials? Are there enough electrical outlets to support all the devices that will be used during the meeting?
Choose the right size: The size of your conference table is also important. Make sure that it is large enough to accommodate all the people who will be using it, but not so large that it feels overwhelming. Consider the size of the room and the number of people who will be seated at the table when choosing the size.
Consider the finish: The finish of your conference table is also important. Consider the look and feel of your meeting room and choose a finish that complements the overall design. Options include wood veneers, laminate, or glass.
Think about ergonomics: Ergonomics is also important when designing custom conference tables. Make sure that the table is the right height for the people who will be using it and that there is enough room for their legs and feet. Also consider the placement of power and data ports to ensure that they are within reach.
Incorporate technology: Technology can play an important role in conference table design. Make sure that the table is equipped with the right technology to support the meetings that will take place. This can include built-in power and data ports, video conferencing equipment, and more.
Make it visually appealing: Finally, don't forget to make your conference table visually appealing. Choose a design that is both functional and attractive, and consider incorporating features such as built-in lighting or cable management to enhance the overall look and feel of the table.
In conclusion, designing custom conference tables is a critical aspect of creating an effective meeting space. By keeping these tips in mind, you can create a table that is functional, ergonomically sound, and visually appealing. With the right design, your custom conference table can help to create a professional and productive environment for your meetings.
Contact Us Today to Create a Masterpiece for your meeting space today!!!
Legacy beyond Luxury
]]>Tell me a little about your background:
My educational background is in landscape architecture. In 2007, I graduated from LSU, which is annually ranked as the #1 program in the country. Because of my strong foundation at the LSU College of Art and Design, my design sensibilities are rooted in the practice of site-specific design, the importance of storytelling through design, and the impact of designing with the intention of connecting people to places.
While working for a leading design firm in Houston, I was able to travel and work in collaboration with other design professionals on large-scale real estate developments around the world. Through my diverse work in the profession, I gained extensive experience in historical preservation as well as urban design, which led to a meaningful balance of skills that have contributed heavily to my recent work with Contour.
My design values are my North Star. Good design can be restorative, timeless and evoke emotional responses. Good design is always carefully composed to satisfy the demands of both form and function. This is our core focus at Contour- we make beautiful art you can actually use. We have found that there is unity through diversity. Because I understand the power of a solid team, I personally embrace the collaborative approach to design. As a company, we believe that the design process is foundational and our main concern will always be the people behind the process.
When and why did you found Contour Functional Art?
I believe the foundation for Contour was laid years before its inception in 2017. My passion is for me; my purpose is for others. I’ve always wanted to use my diverse creative skill set to empower others, especially young people. It started in the classroom as an award winning art educator in Texas. Through my role as a teacher and a mentor to young artists, I was able to help them execute goals and realize dreams. I learned that young people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. This lesson resonated with me and propelled me to dream beyond the classroom and work on ways to scale my impact.
As a 2 dimensional artist that specializes in oil painting portraiture, I was ready to turn a corner and push my own perceived boundaries in art and design. I quit my job as an art teacher and hopped on a plane to Malawi, a small country in East Africa. My good friend from LSU lived there with his wife, who works in child protection for UNICEF. Living in Malawi in 2018 became my most dynamic life experience and it changed the trajectory of my design career. My eyes and heart were both opened to help transform communities through design. This is truly when Contour was born.
What does Contour Functional Art offer in terms of products?
All of our handmade products are approached as art that functions as timeless furniture and home décor. From our repurposed material palette to our sustainable design process- we create legacy pieces that will last forever. We’ve designed and built custom coffee tables, end tables, dining tables, creative wall décor and handmade bowls. We also offer specialty designs including creative commercial display cases and kiosks. If it can be imagined, we can design and build it.
What does Contour Functional Art offer in terms of services?
We’re a fully outfitted design and build firm that offers everything from design consultation, to project facilitation through construction, to shipping our handmade bespoke pieces around the world.
What makes Contour Functional Art unique?
Contour is unique because of our team, our process, and our wood species. We only use sustainably sourced exotic wood species that are all handcrafted by our team in East Africa. Balance is key- we focus on the human aspect of what we do while still being concerned about the environment.
Human connection and environmental impact guide our collaborative work in Malawi. We are black owned and operated, which is rare in the design industry. From our company leaders to our artisans and support staff, every aspect of what we do involves people of color that all bring unique experiences of value to our team. It is our hope that we can inspire young black designers and woodworkers to push their own perceived limitations to refine their craft and seek ownership of their creative output.
What are your main goals for your business?
Our mission is to empower and connect Africa and America through sustainable design. Everything that we do ties back to our mission. Our main goals for Contour are to establish meaningful relationships with retailers and other design firms in the industry, which gives us more opportunities to be impactful in East Africa through our outreach work. Our core values are represented by the acronym R.O.S.E. It stands for Reinvest, Outreach, Sustain and Empower. These are the values that actively guide us to support and execute our mission.
What are your plans for the future?
Our long-term goal is to work with artisans throughout Africa and to build design schools across the continent. Through this platform, we will provide the educational tools that are necessary to establish a career in design. We will set up partnerships with some of the top design schools in America- including my alma mater, LSU. The school will be called the Contour College of Art and Design, and it will be fully staffed and led by artisans from those respective countries in Africa.
Where may our readers go to find out more about your company or purchase one of your products?
Our products can be found on our website www.contourfunctionalart.com or contact us via our social media pages. Within the next few months you will be able to find some of our products in exclusive boutiques in select cities across America.
Anything else you’d like to add that our readers might be interested in knowing?
The idea of sustainability is important to all of the owners of Contour Functional Art. We view sustainability and design through the lens of legacy. We understand our impact on the environment as well as the people that are involved with our work, from our East African creative team to our clients in America. For every Contour piece sold, we have made a pledge to plant fruit trees with a non-profit organization located in Malawi. Once the trees are planted on behalf of our clients, Root to Fruit provides a GPS location for each tree. This will ensure our client’s connection to the origin of our work and help offset deforestation and our collective carbon footprint.
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I’ve always believed in leaving something meaningful behind. Although I believed in it, I never made a concerted effort to invest time into it. It was a concept that I wanted to hold closely and protect; yet I felt disconnected from it for so long. Legacy, my own and the legacy of my work, was never truly considered until I lost my father in 2016. That’s when I was confronted with his footprint, and after surveying his path, I considered my own. I thought about what I was doing, and what I wanted to do. I thought about what I had done over the years of being an artist, and how everything that was done before, led me to this point in my life. I thought about designing and building something that could last forever, and once I create a clear path for myself, I would teach others how to do it too.
The design company was founded in late 2017 as a direct result of me being in the right place, at the right time, and seizing an opportunity for growth. I was ready to move beyond paintings. It would be called Contour Functional Art. The concept for the company was to create beautiful art that can actually be used. I knew that if I ever had the chance to start a design company, that I would use every single experience from my past, as a way to better understand my future. After completing a project in Houston in early 2018, I decided to leave teaching and pursue Contour full time. At the time absolutely nothing was guaranteed, only a blind faith that everything would work out, in due time.
Shortly after quitting my job, I hopped on a plane to Africa and spent a month exploring the small country of Malawi. My intention was to only spend time with my good friend and my Godson who live there. But with every new experience each day, I built a connection to the people and the land. The light was different. The shadows were different. The colors and smells were all different. I was immersed in a creative space, an unforgettable density of nature, that I’d never experienced before. I was inspired to sketch, to create and to collaborate because of the energy and the creative depth of the people. I felt myself finally turning a corner as an artist.
It was then that I knew that everything was about to change. My friend Ike and I sat down and we discussed ways to expand Contour from a local company, to a global company. This is when the pieces of the puzzle began to slowly fit together, and the new version of Contour was envisioned. After discussing rough ideas concerning logistics and creative direction, we hopped in a truck and began traveling around the country, meeting artisans and sharing our thoughts about collaborating with them. We went from village to village, and each time, we were met with open arms. We sat down, we shared hot tea and we discussed our dream.
Along the journey throughout East Africa, we met woodworkers, metal fabricators, painters, sculptors and farmers. We met fathers, and mothers, and sons. We shared our stories. We all want to learn, love, and create a legacy that will last forever.
I returned to America with a new set of experiences, and a new focus. I hit the ground running, applying for every permit that was needed to import exotic wood into the country. I started sketching and producing finished drawings of ideas for unique pieces of furniture, handmade with exotic wood. I started to slowly build the new narrative and creative direction for the company, while taking care of other art projects in Houston. Because Ike lives in Malawi, he continued to build relationships in the community, which led us on a path of several breakthroughs. I began to make designs in Houston and send them to Ike in Africa, where he’d share the ideas with the artisans there, and challenge them to build what I design. After auditioning several woodworkers and metal fabricators, we were able to assemble a team of talented artisans that made our ideas tangible and functional.
A few months after I returned to America, Ike called me and said, “You have to come back. We need you here to work with the guys and teach them the technical skills of design.” A few weeks later, I was back in Africa, holding design workshops with our artisans, sharing everything I’ve learned over the years in order for us all to better understand the future of Contour. I am reminded of a quote by Dr. King that says “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I am reminded of my dad’s footprint, and what I’d like to leave behind.
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Contour Functional Art started because I had one goal- I wanted to make beautiful art that you can actually use. I’ve been drawing and painting for 30 years now, almost every day of that time was devoted to 2 dimensional representations of interesting things around me. Anyone that went to school with me knows that I always found time to draw in class. That passion led to so many cool opportunities along the way, but eventually I became less connected to drawing, and much more connected to building.
Around the end of 2017, I felt as though I hit a creative ceiling, and I had this very strong feeling that it was time to turn a corner creatively, and explore new ways to tell stories. After being approached to display original work at a large art convention in Houston, I approached my good friend, who happens to be my cousin. He moonlights as a woodworker, so because I trusted him and his ability to help me build what I saw in my head, I pitched the idea to him. I told him that I wanted to create fine art that functions as furniture. I wanted it to be shared from generation to generation. And that I wanted it to have a strong narrative like the rest of my work. I shared all of my goals with him, the creative direction that I was interested in pursuing and the social impact component that’s always been an aspect of my life. He listened carefully and offered new ideas. And just like that, Contour was born.
A few months after completing our first commission in Houston in early 2018, I traveled to Malawi, Africa to visit a friend and old classmate from LSU. I was told that it would be life changing, but when someone tells you that, it’s kind of hard to wrap your head around it and really understand why- until you experience it yourself. The genuine kindness and ingenuity of the local people inspired me to seek opportunities in Malawi to collaborate with local artisans.
With the help of my good friend that lives there, we were able to establish relationships in the community and start working on outreach initiatives like our work at The Jacaranda School for Orphans. He saw and believed in the vision I had for a design company that’s rooted in community empowerment, while creating legacy pieces of artwork. Shortly after our work at the orphanage in Malawi, he became a partner in the company. Soon after I returned to Houston, we developed a plan to continue to design functional art in America, but to build a large portion of it in Africa using sustainably sourced exotic trees, and offer it to clients around the world.
Our partnerships with non-profits in Malawi will send proceeds from our sales in America directly to communities in one of the poorest countries on earth. We are pledging to plant ten trees for every table sold in America. We're also working to subsidize solar panels as a power source for villagers in Lilongwe, the capital city. Over the past year, we have developed an outreach program called "R.O.S.E.", which stands for "Reinvest, Outreach, Sustainable and Empower." These are the four pillars of our design company. Through our outreach program, we are planning ways to uplift several communities in East Africa, while connecting these communities to our clients in the states. We hope that it will inspire more interest and appreciation of the value that East Africa can offer to the rest of the world.
Once you start traveling you quickly realize how small the world really is, and how closely connected we actually are. How we share many of the same values and goals. How if given the opportunity, we can actually positively affect each other through brief or extensive interactions. Contour was created to not only design and build functional art, but to empower artisans globally- and help them design and build their own future. We’re all connected. In my case, I am connected to so many talented Malawian artisans because we share the same passion for art.
Original Contour furniture products will be available in America soon, and it wouldn’t be possible without my brothers and business partners Brandon Destouet and Ike Igbo. Our support system is tremendous, and it would take way too long to thank everyone. Just know that we appreciate your support and we won’t forget about the positivity you’ve shared with us along the way.
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]]>Artworks in progress at The Jacaranda School for Orphans in Blantyre, Malawi, Africa.
]]>We shared our stories. We all want to learn, love and create a legacy that will last forever.
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In Malawi, Africa, there are gifted artisans who’s work will never be seen. While I was there, I visited countless villages, markets, and near the end of my time there, a refugee camp. I met exceptional painters, fashion designers, furniture builders and printmakers. I saw ingenuity. I saw creativity, resourcefulness and inspired site specific design. I witnessed with my own eyes the ability to build what has been designed by another person, on the spot, with little to no literacy skills, no machine tools and no formal training.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. The eye opening fact that you can do so much with so little is what resonated with me the most. Despite the meager circumstances of the Malawians, I still felt a strong sense of vitality, resilience and happiness while I was there. From my experiences throughout the country, I walked away with a renewed inspiration to design and empower local artisans to realize their dreams. They have the innate ability, they just need the technical foundation in order to empower others around them.
My goal is to create an empowerment cycle of artisan teachers and students by facilitating design workshops in Malawi. The teachers train the students how to design and build, and the students eventually become the teachers. If they gain the necessary tools to make their businesses sustainable, they have the power to design and build their own future.
From walking through the densely built, handmade villages, to teaching art classes at a school for orphans. From seeing the deepest levels of poverty I’ve ever witnessed, to feeling the greatest joy I’ve ever felt. As an artist, I really wanted to connect the dots. I wanted to understand their stories. I asked a fashion designer and a printmaker how they developed their talent. They told me it was developed here, at the refugee camp. Their passion was fostered and their business was created despite escaping hostility in their home country.
Malawi is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa.” The faces, the personalities, the people and their stories are all unforgettable. It is a strong community of people with incredible talent, even while living in circumstances that aren't imagined in America. As I was preparing to return home, I heard kids laughing while playing on a pool table made from scraps in the middle of the refugee camp. That picture resonated with me. That you are, where you are- and you can be happy anywhere.