duke-university-chapel

Duke University; Durham, NC
Cabinet in white quarter-sawn oak with iron pulls. Designed by us;
quarter-sawn white oak with iron pulls;
the warmth of the wood and the simplicity of the design help it to stand out from its imposing limestone surroundings;
called the “wedding cabinet,” it stores paraphernalia associated with wedding rehearsals as well as the Chapel’s collection of Bibles in Braille.

Duke University; Durham, NC
Advent candle stand in white oak and wrought iron. Designed by us;
quarter-sawn white oak with iron candle-fittings;
used to hold the Advent wreath encompassing five Advent candles [four lit in sequence with the four weeks in Advent and one symbolizing Christ and lit on Christmas Eve or Day];
the candle stand is on casters to allow it to be easily moved;
the wreath is fire-resistant just in case.

Duke University; Durham, NC
Flower stand with hand-carved linenfold panels in quarter-sawn white oak. Designed by us;
quarter-sawn white oak with hand-carved linenfold panels on all four sides;
used in Medieval churches for choir-stall walls, linenfold became popular again in the 19th century with the rise of Gothic Revival, a style to which Duke Chapel clearly belongs;
the stands are on casters to allow them to be easily moved on those occasions when concerts are held in the Chapel.

Duke University; Durham, NC
Chancel panel and sedilia before restoration. Chancel Modesty Panel and Sedilia before Restoration:
in 2015 and 2016 we undertook the restoration of all the woodwork in the chancel area of the Chapel;
after 80 years of use, the fumed oak woodwork was battered and in need of cleaning, repairing and general refurbishing.

Duke University; Durham, NC
Chancel panel and sedilia after restoration. Chancel Modesty Panel and Sedilia After:
for all the woodwork we restored in the Chapel, the goal was not to make it look shiny and new, but to make it look well cared for;
as elsewhere in the Chapel, the modesty panel and clergy seating [sedilia] shown here required repairing the carvings [by replacing missing pieces], scraping the old finish [not sanding, which would have removed too much of the original fumed surface], and cleaning and refurbishing using stains and wiping varnish;
with the exception of the pews, which we were able to work on in our studio, the greater part of this work had to be done on site.