Background

This is no ordinary porch swing. It was fabricated from American white oak in our woodworking shop, and is a testament to our design philosophy of "elegant simplicity," as well as our craftsmanship in executing intricate & precision joinery.

Scope of Project

Elements of the design were drawn from several sources, notably the porch swings of the early 20th century. The swing was to be reminiscent of the Norman Rockwell era depiction of life in the American heartland. Seating comfort was a specific objective, and the swing back design was inspired by the Arts & Crafts period interior designer and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh - specifically his chair designs for the Willow Tea House.

There are sixty-three (63) individual wood pieces that make up the swing assembly, and the joinery is mortise-and-tenon throughout. The swing was stained and finished with tung oil and polyurethane varnish, then polished with paste wax. American white oak was chosen for it's strength and tolerance to wet weather conditions. Shown in the photos below are sections of the shop drawings and several images taken during assembly and finishing. The final product is suspended from the ceiling of a front porch with a kevlar rope product used in the marine industry. All hardware is 316 stainless steel.

Click on each image to view larger images and to reveal more specific information about the swing construction.