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Furniture," observes Zakas, "is thought of as a very complicated thing. It really isn't. A chair should have a seat and a back, a table a top and a base. Those are very simple elements to put together to sit on, eat at or store in." This kind of fun, and indeed new departures in design, has been made possible by a marriage of technology and sprightly aesthetics. Explains Zakas: "Probably the biggest single element has been the development of urethane foam. Before foam, you had to have springs, and they are a real hassle." The new supergrip glues have also been a boon to the basement Sheraton: they will hold wood joints together more durably than the most exquisite doweling. Easy-to-handle materials such as Masonite, plywood and Plexiglas have simplified furniture construction. To Zakas, one of the most important technical innovations of all is the staple gun, which can be used for upholstery by tacking the material over foam and onto the frame. The staple gun can also be used for insulating walls; indeed, it is almost possible to build a house with one of these $30 widgets, points out Zakas, who is writing a book on the uses of this successor to the paper clip: it is tentatively titled Staple! Staple!
Also in the works is Furniture in 24 Hours, Volume II. One of the two dozen entries will be a chair that requires no glues or screws and can be finished for less than $10, including back and bottom cushions. Another student-designed project is an updated version of the 1940s gossip bench, also glueless and screwless, that can be made for $6. Still, to Spiros Zakas, making furniture is not so much a matter of price as of pride—of "putting yourself in your home." If he keeps at it. Author-Editor Zakas may even put Designer Zakas out of business.