Plant Stand

A Scandinavian influence

A small and simple project for this week. A few years ago, Devon wanted a small plant stand for her work office. If I remember correctly, we picked out the pot while we were out and about, so I knew what I was building for, and I think I already had a design in mind when I saw the pot in the store.

Drawing from my affinity for Scandinavian design, I knew White Oak would be an excellent compliment to the matte black pot. Coincidentally, White Oak was also the perfect choice for the crossing dowels the pot sits on since it's highly resistant to breaking (it bends, but it doesn't break!). White Oak is also highly water resistant, which I thought could be of use in case the plant was to be misted, or there was water spillage.

Each dowel runs through its respective leg, seats on a hidden shoulder inside the leg, and is secured with a wedged tenon on the outside. The joinery is mostly aesthetic (no screws, and wedged tenons always look cool), but it's always nice to have additional strength and support, too. The wedged tenons are Black Walnut.

The felt pads I had just happened to be exactly the correct size for the bottoms of the legs, and being dark gray, they add to the aesthetic nicely.

I think I finished this with acrylic poly, which is only a preference of mine in specific circumstances. In this case, I wanted the color of the White Oak to remain as unchanged as possible, and acrylic poly is possibly the best finish available for providing protection while not affecting the appearance of the wood. Oil-based poly would have been even more protective, but would have caused more yellowing, which I didn't want in this case.

Overall, for a small plant stand, I think it imbues a considerable meditative attitude. To me, it feels calming, natural, and present. That's a win in my book.