Last winter I designed and built a custom plant stand for a customer in Calgary, Alberta. The request was for a piece of furniture inspired by a Japanese garden gate that could hold a number of plants and be a decorative addition to their living room.

I was excited to take on the challenge of creating a unique piece that would be both eye pleasing and functional. The end supports are made of circles, each cut from four pieces of wood glued together. And to add another element of interest, the shelves are cut as horizontal arcs that are offset at each level of the stand.

Originally designed it without the corner braces, but the shelves were not stable enough to hold the weight of the plants. The frame was racking from side to side, and I had to adjust the design to add small corner braces at each level.

The customer was super happy with the finished piece, and she was able to display her plants – out of reach of her new puppy!

EH