Chester County Style
This Pennsylvania area developed unique and recognizable furniture. From its green rolling hills in the south and plains-like farmland in its middle to the nearly mountainous terrain in the north,...
An Overview of Chinese Furniture
When it comes to the history of woodworking, period furniture styles, and woodworking techniques, most woodworkers think about William and Mary, Queen Anne, Federal, Chippendale, and so on. It is...
Designing With Curves
Getting off the straight path can be liberating. I can see it with my eyes shut: a curving stretch of highway snaking past Otter Cliffs in Acadia National Park. Each...
Hancock Shaker Village Daybed
Recreated from a photograph and measurements, this design feels both modern and timeless. One of the things I have come to admire as a furniture designer-maker is the timelessness of...
Plans vs Proportions
Adapt a furniture plan with your eye. I think of plans as sort of a roadmap. They were a big part of my early work as a machinist and later...
Federal Furniture
Years ago I discovered Federal furniture and knew that with beautiful veneer, superb inlay and simple carving, this would be my furniture period of choice. Federal furniture has much to...
An ExpERimENTAL Table
Designer Enzo Mari gave the world this design (and many others). But are they worth building? When my grandparents married before World War II, they bought a dining room set...
American Gothic
This early form – an aumbry – spawned many different types of furniture. It is easy to forget that many of our favorite pieces of furniture are recent innovations. Forms...
Designing by Foot, Hand & Eye
Empirical, not Imperial, is the measure of the pre-industrial maker. In this article I’m going to show how I design a simple piece of furniture whilst immersed in the...
Make a Chair That Rocks
A little geometry and a simple prototype ensure a pleasant ride. I recently set out to design and build a new rocking chair. I’ve designed and built a handful...
Try for Your Best Work
From 1977-1983 I made my living as a studio furniture designer and maker. In addition to making furniture, I found most of the hand tools available at the time...
The Metropolitan Console
Back in the 1950s, traditional cabinetmakers in Scandinavian workshops produced sleek, powerful furniture using modern materials and modest machines. This project pays homage to those exciting [...]
