My intention with this chair is to create a piece suited both in character and in proportion to fit my mom, Karen Ann Madsen (KAM). The chair is my original design — an armchair for sitting fairly upright with good posture and support. Designing a chair is a challenge: defining its style and understanding its construction is a constant learning curve. Laura Mays, the director at The Krenov School, described making a chair like connecting points in space to fit the body it is meant to hold in the position the designer intends — a sentiment I kept in my mind throughout the process. To learn from those who have made chairs before me, I looked to classic Danish designers such as Hans Wegner and Aksel Bender Madsen (a nod to my mom and my Danish roots), the Talavid chair by Carl Malmsten, and Ejler, Jim and Laura’s advice. I started by making a collection of small scale models to help make decisions about proportions and style, then moved to a full scale mock up to dial in comfort and details. I then found a beautiful board of rich toned Madrone wood and began to carefully make the KAM chair. It has been deeply gratifying to build a piece of furniture to hold the one who held me as a child. ♥ 

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