Philip’s Own

One of the colloquialisms often used in the Virgin Islands, is “Mine’s own” meaning belonging to me. While living on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, I finally found time to make a bed that was suited to me. I am built for comfort, not speed. Just so, I wanted a bed that would be a pleasure to lounge in as well as sleep on. Both the headboard and the footboard are curved to be easy on the back resting against them. I chose to cane the headboard both for air flow and for the flexability caning affords. I wove in the medallion – an oval piece of Mahogany crotch grain – to break up the expanse of caning. It is all solid mahogany. Even the top of both the head and foot are not glued up, they began as 6x6s of West Indies Mahogany. Many people call this a “Sleigh Bed” and while it may resemble one it was not from any pattern or intent to copy an existing design. I designed my work from the simple desire for comfort.