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" When searching for inspiration, New York\u2013based furniture designer Paul Loebach casts a wide net. In his cramped Brooklyn studio, where workbenches and computers compete for space with models of chairs made of foam, two bookcases are stuffed with books on furniture-making\u2014not only about the work of modern masters like Gio Ponti and George Nakashima, but about classic styles, from Queen Anne to American Windsor. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m mostly inspired by furniture from the 1600s to the 1800s,&amp;quot; Loebach says. &amp;quot;It really moves me.&amp;quot; Such respect for the past might sound surprising, considering that Loebach is a rising star of contemporary American design; his mastery of digital manufacturing techniques puts him squarely on the cutting edge. When Loebach was a child growing up in Cincinnati, mealtime conversations frequently revolved around craftsmanship and manufacturing. His father, descended from a long line of German woodworkers, was an engineer who specialized in molded plastics. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;d sit there over dinner and he&amp;#039;d analyze a plastic fork,&amp;quot; Loebach recalls. &amp;quot;It would drive my mom crazy.&amp;quot; Loebach&amp;#039;s father constructed most of the furniture for the house by hand, often with help from his son. Loebach built on that foundation with a degree in industrial design from the Rhode Island School of Design. Since then he&amp;#039;s been giving new twists to timeless forms with computer-controlled manufacturing. His Great Camp collection, a limited-edition line for the Manhattan design store Matter, was inspired by Adirondack furniture. A chair, dresser, credenza, and coatrack are made with pieces of lumber that appear to have been whittled by hand. In reality, the individual components were modeled in pink foam at Loebach&amp;#039;s studio, digitally constructed in three dimensions, and then replicated by a computer-controlled lathe. The results &amp;quot;look random,&amp;quot; says Loebach, &amp;quot;but there was a really rigorous formal exploration to get there.&amp;quot; Watson, a dining table made from carbon fiber and thin layers of wood, has legs that form double helixes. The shape of the leg began as a classic turned-wood form; Loebach expanded it with 3D-modeling software, then completed the job using established methods and tools for handcrafting boats. Topping it with a pair of his Distortion candlesticks, which look like antique pieces that have suddenly gone loose and wobbly, creates a dining room that borders on the surreal. And that&amp;#039;s the point\u2014by blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, Loebach&amp;#039;s furniture and accessories appear at once familiar and unlike anything you&amp;#039;ve seen before. Click here to see Paul Loebach&amp;#039;s modern furniture pieces.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/interior-designers/a3241/classic-craftsmanship-a-modern-twist-a-69460/?click=edc-more>