Funky East Van furniture gets own children's book
Judson Beaumont's wacky and whimsical furniture pieces now star in their own children's tale
If you walk into Judson Beaumont's furniture shop in East Van, it might feel like you've just stepped into a Disney movie.
You might spot a grandfather clock checking the time, or a poorly-trained coffee table relieving itself on the carpet.
So when two book publishers walked into Straight Line Designs during the 2015 Eastside Culture Crawl, it was hard for them not to imagine his creations as characters in a children's story.
"They were just excited about my furniture and they were all jumpin' around," he told host Sheryl MacKay on CBC's North by Northwest.
Beaumont was intrigued and asked the pair what they did for a living. They told him they published books, and he briefly tried to convince them to make a book about his furniture, to which they responded, "No, we make children's books."
"So I said, 'Better yet! Let's do a children's book!'" said Beaumont, laughing.
"After that, we were already bonded. It was gonna happen."
Chester Gets A Pet
The book is titled Timberland Tales: Chester Gets a Pet, and tells the tale of Chester — a three-drawers-tall dresser named Chester who lives in the fictional Timberland and has always dreamed of having a pet.
One day when Chester is walking home from school, he finds a little baby table — based off of Beaumont's Bad Table — frolicking around in the bushes. He sneaks it home and chaos ensues.
"It was fun creating all of these imaginary ideas," said Beaumont, adding that many of the characters are direct incarnations of the furniture he's made.
Beaumont worked directly with an Emily Carr graphic artist who rendered his hand drawings into computer-generated images that are in the book.
And even though he's used to drawing his furniture, the format of a children's book allowed him to get a little more creative.
"I was taking more chances. Being more silly and more outrageous with the bends and the shapes."
Beaumont has always adored looking at his finished products, but says holding his new book in his hands is an entirely unique experience.
"To have a book, it's overwhelming — it's kind of surreal."
Timberland Tales: Chester Gets a Pet launches this weekend at Straight Line Design as part of the East Van Culture Crawl.
With files from CBC's North by Northwest
To listen to the full interview click on the audio labelled: Judson Beaumont turns his wacky furniture into children's book characters